The Golden Spear Company
by TheRocktron56
Summary: "But here's the thing...They knew everything about us and the very second we let them walk, the enemy will know. And they'll save us for last. They'll kill our friends, our families, our comrades. They will slaughter innocent people left, right and centre to get to us. And by the time they do, there will be nothing left of humanity for the titans to annihilate…"
1. For the Greater Good of Humanity

_AN:_

 _Hey guys just wanted to say that this is my first time writing a fanfic so there'll probably be some things that are wrong here and there._

 _I want to improve each chapter as much as I can so I'm open to any constructive feedback anyone has in regards to improving this chapter and any other chapters._

 _It gets much better along the way._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 1 - For the Greater Good of Humanity_**

 ** _Year 849 - Celebration of the Top 10 Graduates, 103rd Trainee Corp, Utopia Branch._**

The Top 10 Graduates had been announced and the celebrations took place in the mess hall, all the cadets had gathered there and were congratulating those lucky to become the Top 10..

"Jay!" a young teenager called out as he rushed after him. He was quite tall and had a lean figure, light brown hair kept in reasonable size with a fringe covering part of his forehead and fairly large grey eyes. He was wearing a simple white long sleeve shirt with a light blue vest on top, white trousers and dark knee high boots.

The other teen,Jay, slowly turned around and fixed him with a dull stare. He was an inch taller and had a more toned build, with long, messy black hair and smaller, narrow dark brown eyes. He was wearing a white shirt with plain black trousers.

"What is it Dante?" Jay frowned as he blinked at Dante, who was grinning, "Stop grinning...it's offputting…"

"Where do you think you're going?" Dante asked as he put his arm around his shoulder, "This is time to celebrate. We graduated! And you are ranked first! Most people would think that you'd stay around and celebrate!"

Jay breathed out in annoyance as he carefully peeled Dante's arm away, "What I was hoping to do was to get some fresh air before going to sleep…" he muttered as he was about to walk away but found another person blocking his route. He was the same height as Jay but had a more muscular build in comparison to him with similarly long black hair but kept neatly into bangs that hung over his forehead and on either side of his brows with larger, mesmerising golden eyes. He wore a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, beige coloured trousers and also wore knee high boots like Dante that were dark brown.

"Oh please what do you want Al? Don't tell me-" Jay began in annoyance.

"Tell you what? That you're missing out on such a great celebration back in the mess hall with all sorts of food and drink all just for us. And you are missing out on it all…" Al said.

Jay breathed out, annoyed, "It's for the best...Let's just leave it at that…"

"How about we don't leave it at that and get back to celebrating?" Dante grinned as he ruffled Jay's hair, only to have Jay slap his hand away and glare at him. "Oh, come on don't be so damn antisocial…"

"Don't be so damn happy," Jay muttered aloud, "...Besides, who would want me there celebrating with them...it's better if I just stay out of this…"

Al sighed as he glanced at Dante before quickly going back to the mess hall. "We can see about that when we head back to the mess hall."

Jay reluctantly followed Al into the mess hall and entered to see everyone standing up silently holding their mugs, Al standing at the forefront.

"Fellow cadets! Let us offer a toast to Jayden Talbot! The 1st ranked cadet!" Al called out, raising his mug up and everyone following suit behind him cheering. Jay glared at Al, clearly unimpressed by his actions. Al on the other hand gave him a wide smile and nodded to him as a gesture. Jay grumbled to himself and slowly raised his mug, the cheering grew even louder as he did so, "If you can't beat them you may as well join them…" Jay muttered to himself, reluctantly walking over to the benches and joining the rest.

 ** _Year 849 - Graduation Ceremony of the 103rd Trainee Corp Utopia Branch_**

The cadets all stood outside in the large auditorium waiting while Commander Erwin gave his speech to muster new recruits for the Survey Corps. After a short while Erwin concluded his speech, "Those of you who do not wish to join us may leave now."

Dante looked hesitantly back as the huge amount of people who began to leave. He swallowed and licked his lips anxiously as his eyes darted from his friends to the huge amount of people leaving.

"You having second thoughts?" Jay asked, tilting his head to his direction and raising an eyebrow.

"We won't blame you if you decide to leave," Al looked at him, "You deserve that place in the military police you kn-"

Dante shook his head and exhaled, "It's not that… It's just… I can't believe we're here making this choice now...and we don't know what the hell happens next…"

Jay lowered his gaze, his eyes narrowed and pursed his lips, not saying a word. Al sighed and shook his head as he faced forward. ' _Dante's right…'_ Al thought dismally, ' _If we actually go through this...What happens then? Who knows what would happen to us?'_ He looked down at his hands dangling by his sides and clenched them. ' _All I know is that I'm the first of my family to join the Survey Corps...and to go beyond the walls and finally help humanity… And I will give my heart and soul to the task if I have to...'_

' _Why is everyone walking away? Don't they want to fight for humanity?'_ Jay exhaled and lifted his head defiantly. ' _Cowards...I'll prove them wrong...every single one of them… I'll stand here and fight against the titans and prove them wrong...Never again...'_

"Soldiers… Welcome to the Survey Corps…" Commander Erwin called out, his voice echoing in the open clearing that had now formed.

 ** _Year 850 - A small cave between Wall Rose and Wall Maria_**

"It's been a month, a whole fucking month and we've covered only 50 miles!" complained Dante while tending to the horses.

"Commander Erwin did warn us in advance that we'll be out here for at least a few weeks, but he mentioned nothing about the possibility of us being out here for a whole month" replied Jay.

"It's not like we've sitting on our asses this entire time" retorted Al.

"But a fucking month Al, our supplies were only supposed to last us two weeks tops. Through some sort of miracle we've managed to sustain ourselves by rationing like hell but now we only have enough for a few days. Now tell me this Al, once we've run out what then, uh, tell me what then!" exclaimed Dante, annoyance building up inside of him.

"Well then I guess we have no other choice but to hunt our own food. It shouldn't be too hard, hell even you're not too bad at it Dante"

"If you need maneuver gear though I'm afraid we don't have enough gas to spend on hunting" asked Jay.

"That's fine, the sound of the gas would be picked by any animals within the vicinity and they would just run away," replied Al.

"So what do you suggest then," Jay asked, "You're the hunter here. It's uncharted territory for me really so it's your call."

Al reached down into his pocket and produced a folded map. Unfolding it he laid it down on the ground for Jay and Dante to observe as well, the two of the crouched down on either side of the map. "So according to the map we're currently right here," Al pointed out on the map,"and the nearest forest is over here about a few miles south east. I say we head over there at first light and then head on down south to our destination." Al explained, tracing his finger over the route on the map.

"Looks to me that forest of yours is the one with the big ass trees" Dante pointed out,",Perfect for using our gear if worst comes to worst."

"Best solution would be for all of us to go in. We stay back a bit to let you do your thing and when it's done you pop a signal flare and we'll head back together" Jay told Al and Dante.

"Sounds all fine then." Al smirked, folding the map up slotting back into his pocket.

"But…" Jay added in to Al's annoyance slightly.

"But what?" Al asked.

"We don't have a lot of gas left to use on hunting. We need to save if for the rest of the journey if we're going to make it back." Jay informed Al and Dante.

"Well I can make do without….Right now we should get some sleep. We head out at first light." Al advised, the other two abiding by it.

 ** _The next day_**

Al grunted out in pain as he crashed into the ground, tumbling around in the grass. He forced his eyes open and coughed out as he staggered onto his feet, clutching at his shoulder. He looked up and his eyes widened in shock as he saw two titans emerge from the trees, staring at him intently and slowly lumbering towards him. Not taking his eyes from the oncoming giants, his hands fumbled for his belt. He looked down and cursed. " _Crap! Where is it!?"_ Al thought as he looked around on the ground feverishly. His eyes focused on the shiny metal handle half-buried in a bush and felt his hopes flare up. " _I need to warn Jay and Dante first before I deal with_ _ **them**_ " Al thought as he looked up at the giants towering above him. He let out an annoyed sigh as he rushed forward. He slid to the ground and pulled the trigger of his handle, sending a hook shooting out and embedding itself into a tree behind one of the titans. He sped forward just before the titan swung and sent his fist crashing where he was milliseconds ago. He skidded under the first titan's legs and looked up to see the second titan raise his foot. Al flipped onto his feet and fired a second hook up into the Titan's arm. He felt himself getting yanked upwards from the ground and sent spiraling past the titan's arm. Al quickly glanced back at the titan he had just sped past and looked at the ground where he was speeding towards. He holstered his handles and covered his head with his arms, bracing for impact. He hit the ground and rolled across, his arms and thick coat absorbing most of the shock. He slid on his back and plucked the flare from the bush. Instantly he pulled back the hammer and fired, sending a column of green smoke shooting into the air.

* * *

Jay spiralled through the air, barrelling past the titan's arms and straight above it's head, He holstered one of his swords and reached out, grabbing a fistful of the Titan's hair and pulling it back. The Titan's head lolled back from the speed and the force at which Jay was travelling, sending him dangling right in front of the Titan's nape. Jay swung out with his right hand, creating a deep clean slice in the Titan's neck and sending hot blood splashing onto the front of his uniform. Jay let go of it's hair and kicked off sending him falling to the ground. Jay spun and corrected himself and looked up at two deviants rushing towards him. Jay reached for his triggers and pulled, sending two hooks into the Titan's lower abdomen and shot forward, sending a column of gas behind him . He swung beneath the titan's leg and sent him rocketing up into the sky.

 _"Two deviants, a 12 metre and a 15 metre..."_ Jay's eyes flickered between the two giants looking up at him, " _Looks pretty straightforward, need to attack hard and fast without wasting whatever gas I have...even if that requires wasting a good pair of blades…"_

He locked in the blades and flicked it upwards, sending two blades spinning upwards into the air. Jay clicked the triggers again, sending four hooks embedding themselves around the Titan's nape and sending him rushing forward towards its weak spot. Jay locked in two blades and sending them plunging it's neck. The blades had shattered completely as he pushed off and looked at the second deviant speeding towards him. Jay reeled in the hooks and fired them towards the titan, sending them embedding around the titan's eye. He fired forward and brought out his empty handles. Effortlessly, he locked in the blades he had dropped earlier and plunged it forward, sending it straight into its eye. It had burst like a balloon, sending blood splattering everywhere and causing the titan to tilt his head back and roar out in pain. Jay pulled his arm out of the hot gooey mess and pulled out the hooks. He leapt to the side and descended down the side of the Titan's head to it's neck. He swung his sword in an arc and sent it deep into the titan's neck just above the nape of the neck. Jay twisted the handle and swung down, cutting the nape of cleanly with blood gushing out from the wound like a fountain. The titan fell back and landed onto the floor. Jay pulled out the hooks and stepped down onto the grass, looking around dully as he holstered his swords. He turned back to the dead decaying titans and spat out in disgust,

"Hmmph...too quick for my liking...but efficient enough as it is…"

* * *

Dante somersaulted backwards, evading the titan's fist and gritting his teeth in annoyance as he saw two more titans approaching him. He landed back against a tree and darted forward, shooting out gas behind him, spiraling along the titan's arm and tore its nape wide open. Blood erupted from it, spraying onto Dante's back as he leapt off of the titan and shot out a hook into a tree, reeling himself in and traversing through the trees towards the other titans. Dante neared the first titan and shot up into the air, hurling his blades into the titan's eyes. The titan staggered back and roared in agony, swinging out blindly and knocking the other titan to the ground. Dante shot out both hooks into two trees on either side of him and swung down, attaching his blades to the handles of his gear and spun around, twisting the blades and pulling them back. The blades ripped the titan's skull open from the eyes to the back of the head till Dante pulled the blades out and retracted his hooks only to shoot them both into the titan's nape. " _Now for the finisher_ " Dante thought as he held his blades in front of him and pushed the buttons on his handles, sending out a huge cloud of gas and shooting right through the titan's nape, erupting through the other side covered in blood. Dante pulled the blades out and landed onto the ground, looking back at the titan he had just dispatched as it fell onto the ground.

Suddenly he heard a roar and jumped back, narrowly avoiding a titan's open mouth. The titan went head first into the tree and went limp, laying perfectly still on the ground. Dante shot out his hooks into the trees above him and soared into the air, readying his blades to strike and dropped back down, his eyes focused on the titan's nape. All of a sudden the titan jumped up into the air, it's mouth wide open to swallow Dante whole. Dante instantly mashed his triggers furiously and reeled himself back up, " _Why won't you reel me in faster you stupid piece of metal!_ " Dante thought in a mix of frustration and desperation. No matter how much he mashed the trigger the titan caught up with Dante, his feet were already inside it's gaping mouth, " _Fuck it then_ " Dante thought as he kicked his legs out, his feet pushing against the teeth of the titan, barely keeping its mouth from opening. "Now then," Dante said out loud, pushing two specific button on his handles to produce two barrels on either side of both his blades, "How would you like a taste of the Blackwood pistol swords. Of course you have no choice so open wide would you." With that Dante pressed the two buttons on his handles again. Bullets roared out of the barrels and ripped through the titans jaw muscles, allowing Dante to relax his legs as the titan's jaw widened considerably and it fell to the ground, Dante remaining where he was in the air, retracting the barrels back into the handles of his gear. He watched the titan fall below him and saw a flash of green in the corner of his eye heading straight for the titan, severing its nape and landing against a tree and dropped down onto the ground. Dante swung down as well.

"Dante!" he heard Jay called out. He turned around and looked over to where Jay was pointing to. ' _Green smoke?'_ Dante's face creased with confusion but his eyes widened with shock, "Jay! That's-"

"I know, come on!" Jay remarked gruffly as he whistled out and soon enough, two horses galloped past and stopped right next to them, stamping their hooves. Both of them leapt onto their saddles and dug their spurs into the horse's sides, sending them galloping towards where the signal came from.

* * *

Al tossed the flare gun to the side and rolled over, dodging the titan's fist as it slammed into the ground where Al was just standing seconds ago. Al scrambled back onto his feet and took his glove off, revealing a carbon black gauntlet with buttons on the tip of each finger. He quickly looked behind him at the two titans lumbering towards him and saw his bow and quiver lying on the ground behind them. " _I need to conserve my gas use,"_ Al thought as holstered the triggers, _"Thank God, I have these at least..."_ He pressed one of the buttons on his fingertips, sending a clawed grappling hook from his wrist. He flicked it out, sending the hook flying and embedding itself into the titan's forehead. Pressing another button on his gauntlet, Al jumped as he was reeled in and swung over the titan's head, the hook dislodging from its forehead. Retracting the hook into his gauntlet, Al took out the handles of his gears and attached his blades to them. Using gravity instead of his gas, Al turned upside down and struck his blades, tearing through the titan's nape down to the entire length of its back before landing onto the ground.

The titan fell to the ground behind Al and shook the ground slightly. Quickly grabbing his bow and quiver, Al shot back up into the trees and looked down at the other titan below him, a 15 metre class that seemed to have forgotten that Al was right above him for some reason. Taking advantage of the titan's seemingly ignorance, Al shot out a hook into the titan's nape and reeled himself in, using some gas to speed him up. He pulled his blades back and swung them forward, slicing right through the titan's neck and decapitating it. Al rolled over onto the ground and stood back up, looking at his surroundings and sitting down against a tree, gaining his breath his back. Al's ears perked up after a short moment as he heard the bushes near by rustle slightly and the sound of movement. He climbed up a tree next to him and stood on one of the branches, gazing down at the small group of deer grazing the grass below him. Slowly Al held his bow and loaded an arrow into it, drawing the bow back and aiming at the nearest deer, and let the arrow shoot out into the deer's head. The surrounding animals immediately perked their heads up and begin to run away. Al quickly reloaded his bow and fired another arrow, killing another deer. The rest of them had run away and Al was left with two kills.

"Should be enough for the time being." Al muttered to himself, dropping down and cutting the meat from the deer. Once he was finished, Al shot up into the trees and flew through the trees with ease, heading in the last known direction of Jay and Dante, hoping they hadn't run into the same trouble as he did with the titans. As Al was gliding through the trees he heard the sound of multiple branches moving when suddenly he looked to his side and saw a large titan standing in the cover of the trees. It had an unusually large torso with a small head and long slender arms, not to mention it was covered in fur, like a animal. Al avoided dwelling on the abnormal titan's appearance and instantly reeled his hooks back in. The titan suddenly swung out at Al who shot out another hook of his gear and attempted to reel himself away but realised he was a second too late. He felt an explosion of pain in his leg as he flew back into a tree and fell down to ground with broken bones, bruises all over his body and the bottom half of his leg below the knee torn off of his body. Al raised his head slightly, blood running down his face from a gash in his head, and looked at the fur covered titan further away from him. That's when it spoke...

* * *

 _An:_

 _Hope you enjoyed._

 _Like I said before any feedback is very much appreciated._

 _Till next time._


	2. Divided, We Fall

_AN:_

 _Well I got Chapter 2 sorted out as you can see._

 _Hope you enjoy it and like always I'm open to improvements._

 _This is fun._

* * *

Al raised his head slightly, blood running down his face from a gash in his head, and looked at the fur covered titan further away from him. Then it spoke.

"That seemed much easier than I had anticipated." the titan mocked Al, slowly walking up to him

Al looked at the titan in horror, his head trying to decide whether what it just heard was real or just his dying imagination. ' _Oh God...What the hell are you? What are you!?"_

"I didn't expect you to survive but it's of no matter to me" the titan went on, nearing Al.

" _What the hell is this thing!? How can it speak!?"_ Al's mind was still in turmoil, a mix of fear and confusion.

The titan was next to Al and crouched down, casting a giant shadow over Al and looming over him, "If you don't mind I'd like to borrow that device of yours. It looks slightly different from the rest…". Al stared at the titan in sheer shock and confusion.

"I understand that we speak the same language unless you can't speak that is?" the titan looked down at Al who moved his lips barely, "What are you?"

"No need to worry. All I want is that device of yours that happens to be right here."the titan reached down and carefully picked up Al's gear from the ground and held it in the palm of its hand, bringing it closer to its face to look at it better. "It's a shame but I would have very much liked to see this properly but unfortunately now it's destroyed," the dropped Al's broken gear and stood back up _,_ "Now I have no use of you anymore…" the titan turned around and walked away, "But they still can use you…"

"W-what do you mean _**they**_? WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?" Al cried out, a mixture of pain, anger and fear in his voice.

"You'll see." the titan put it calmly in a slightly sinister way, vanishing into the treeline.

From the treelines titans appeared and walked over to where Al lay on the ground helpless without any gear. Al looked at the titan advancing to him and realised it was the end, feeling as if his insides had been gutted out of him. "It's all over…" Al said it out loud, painfully turning himself over as he slumped up against the tree behind him, "So much for serving humanity…Father would be ashamed..." he muttered out, cringing at the pain coming from his leg, looking down to see a bloody stump where his lower leg should be. Al lolled his head back and felt his eyelids get heavy. He reached into his pocket and produced a small, compact rectangular box, laying it on the ground. It was a 'gift' given to him before he set out for the expedition with specific instructions that it shouldn't be opened until there was no other way. "What's the harm in finding out what's inside this damn box?" Al muttered out again, feebly undoing the clip on the box and opening it to reveal a soft padding lining the inside with a syringe containing a strange liquid. There was also a note with it. Al picked it up and read it.

 _Alphonse,_

 _I must warn you this may do more harm than good but if there is no other way then do what you must. Nothing will make sense but this is to ensure your survival. I've picked one suited for your battle style. Use it well..._

The note ended with that and Al dropped it to the side, taking out the syringe and reading the label on it. ' _Crystal_ ' it read. The ground shook slightly as Al looked back up and saw the titans only metres away, one of them reaching out and about to grab Al. "Well here goes nothing then." with that Al jabbed the syringe into his arm...

 _ **Meanwhile**_

Jay spurred his horse on even further followed by Dante towards the the flare, the sound of titans roaring becoming even louder.

"Jay!" Dante called out, "Are you even sure we should-"

"We have to go back!" Jay yelled back, not glancing back at him "We can't le-"

Suddenly, lightning had struck, cutting off Jay completely. The trees swayed dangerous from the strong gust of air formed, their horses whinnied in fear and both Dante and Jay braced themselves against the strong wind.

"...What the hell…" Dante breathed out in disbelief only to be snapped back into reality as Jay resumed to spur on ahead.

"Jay! Wait, do we even have a plan!? For all we know, we're running in-"

Both of them slowly came to a halt as they came to a clearing and stared, wide eyed at the sight.

"...blind…" Dante finished, unable to even take in the sight at all. "Um…" his voice was small and trembling, "...Do you...have a plan?...Jay?"

Jay slowly let out a shaky breath, "...Not anymore, I don't…"

* * *

Jay and Dante rode away from the forest, Al slumped up against Dante's back. Most of the forest was now just a complete wreck, broken trees were everywhere, wood shrapnel littered the ground and steam constantly erupted from the carcasses of numerous titans. The place looked as if it had blown up. Jay and Dante rode on till they felt they found a safe enough place to rest and anchored their horses. Al began to slowly move around and began mumbling ever so slightly, Dante threw him onto the ground, Al groaned as he began to regain conscience.

"He's waking up!" Dante spoke, fighting to keep the panic down, "Jay, what the hell do we do now!?"

"Let him wake up, we can't change that," Jay retorted, his brow furrowed as he lowered his head in deep thought, "But if it makes you feel better, then we can use **those** …" He nodded towards something behind Dante. Dante glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he saw the guns attached to their shadows. Dante glanced at Al and then looked back at Jay in disbelief.

"You can't seriously be suggesting that we'd **shoot** him!?" Dante blurted out, unable to believe his eyes

Jay glared at him in annoyance, "Of course not! It's just a precaution."

"But still! Come on Jay! Please! There has to be another thing we can do!"

"Don't you understand!? There is nothing else! There is no contingency for something like this. Can you be kind enough to justify or explain what happened back there?" Jay was only replied by silence, "Exactly… I hate the idea as much as you do but I'm just as confused as you are. I'm open to suggestions but for now, I'll leave that up to you."

Dante blinked in shock, completely torn about what to do. Finally, Dante reluctantly pulled out a pistol, grimacing as he did so.

"God dammit my head hurts…" Al slowly opened his eyes and looked around, his vision still blurry,"Where...Where am I?..." Al murmured as he struggled onto his feet.

"Al just stay down. We don't want to make this harder than it is already. Please."

The sound of the pistol being cocked was enough to heed Al. He stayed where he was and slowly turned his head to look at where the sound came from. He stared blankly at the pistols aiming for his head to face Jay and Dante in confusion and shock. "What the hell!?," Al tried desperately to accept what he was seeing,"No no no, This has to be some crazy dream. There's no way you two would really do this-".

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain or even take in after we both walked into God knows what," Dante stated in a surprisingly calm manner, his fingers adjusting on the handle of the gun "...so i was hoping you'd do it for us…"

"And how the hell am I supposed to do that when one you have guns pointed at me and two the last thing i remember was being attacked by that….beast titan!" Al stared back at Dante, trying to keep the panic down.

"...All we are asking of you...is to tell us what what happened," Jay grunted, tilting his head,

"I mean, we can always change to swords if you want," Dante shrugged as his hand went for the handle of his sword.

"This is just great. Erwin sent us out to do one job and here we are pointing bloody guns at each other and throwing around accusations of how who did what" Al angrily retorted, "Look...Jayden, Dante...It's me. Your friend. I wouldn't do anything to try and jeopardise the mission. You know me!"

Dante lifted his head up then looked at Jay as if to remember something. Then he looked at Al and adjusted his grip, "Yeah...I'm sorry but I don't remember doing what you just did as part of the job...do you, Jay?"

"Dante, seriously...not the best time for your stupid jokes…" Jay replied annoyed, still not taking his aim of Al, "...Ignore him and just. think. back…"

"First of all are you two going to drop the guns or am I still an unknown threat" Al asked, slowly standing up.

Jay stayed silent for a long time. Finally he holstered his pistol and stepped back followed by Dante, "Fine...we trust you enough to know that you'll at least try to explain…"

Dante perked his head up, "Wait...we do...oh, I mean, yeah,yeah, of course," he blurted out quickly as they both stared at him in annoyance.

Al let out a sigh of relief,"Well I guess I'll try and explain as best as I can but bear in mind my short memory is fuzzy," Al paused for a brief moment,"Last I remember I got the meat and began heading back to you two when this titan attacked me...but...the titan...it spoke...to me..."

Dante blinked and then rubbed his temples, "...back up for a second because this is just sounding like a whole load of crap. A titan that can speak our language? Are you serious or are your injuries much more worse than we thought…"

"I have nothing to gain from lying to you both, I swear it on my own life, that titan was able to talk and had fur. I mean think about it, no one even imagined the very being of an Armoured and Colossal titan so really we should be accustomed to seeing new breeds of titan appearing and should treat them as any other titan" Al added quickly.

"Ignore him, Al and carry on…" Jay glared at Dante.

"Thank you," Al breathed out in relief.

"Your life may depend on it after all," Jay finished off, still not taking his eyes of his comrade.

"I'm just going to carry on. The 'Beast Titan' as I call it, had intelligence that even surpassed that of the Armoured and the Colossal. It talked about the gear and it wanted it for inspections .If this titan decided to attack Wall Rose in conjunction with the Armoured and Colossal then humanity is finished, there's no way with those three together we can beat them before they breach Wall Rose and shortly after Sina as well."

"That explains that...now what about **your** situation then?" Dante asked.

"What more is there to tell, it pretty much swatted me like a fly and I lost my...leg...,", Al's face tensed as looked down at his leg and back at Jay and Dante,"when you found me...did I have both my legs".

"What kind of question is that!? Of course we did! We found you with no gear, your uniform torn up and there was a tear on your trouser on your left leg from just above the knee…" Jay's face began tensing in shock as he finally put the pieces together "...no, you can't be suggesting, that's physically impossible!..."

"Al, listen. I know we said we'll trust you on anything you say but this getting really far fetched. Even for my standards" Dante muttered didn't want to believe it.

"Well how else do you explain the tear on my trouser. My leg was ripped off and then I found the box...that…,"Al looked up at Jay and Dante,"It's coming back to me in pieces but I remember using what was inside this box...i just can't remember what was inside it. But whatever it is, whatever did _**this**_ It's nothing like what we've come across before…"

"This should probably jog your memory then..." Dante reached into his saddle and brought out an identical box to the one Al had,"before the expedition, I got this as well with a letter. It said not to tell you or Jay about it"

"You're not the only ones..." Jay muttered out loud, as he brought out his own box as well.

"Look, just...Usually I would end this conversation because I don't want to get involved in these headaches known as conspiracies or whatever... but between what Jay and I saw back there in the forest and our current situation regarding our location, whatever this is… it _**needs**_ to be cleared up right away" Dante took a key from his pocket and opened the box, displaying its contents to Jay and Al, "I assume you found this in your box as well Al and that you Jay haven't opened yours up yet"

"That's the one alright" Al confirmed.

Dante nodded, unsure of what to do next..."Well... I guess that wraps things up then. You know at the start I was really thinking that Jay and I would have to kill you..." Dante mumbled awkwardly, extending his arm out.

"Well, good thing that I'm good with words then…" Al muttered as he took his arm only to answered by Dante rolling his eyes and Jay muttering something beneath his breath. Al then grimaced, a hint of annoyance in his voice "You still didn't need to wave those guns around in my face though…"

Dante pursed his lips partly in guilt and glanced at Jay. Jay only shrugged and tilted his head to the side. "It was just one of many precautions…" Jay lifted his gun up and pulled the trigger, causing a small _**click**_ to be heard, "...like making sure the guns weren't even loaded.

Dante's eyes widened in shock as he he looked down at the gun and pulled the trigger only to discover there were no bullets inside that gun as well. "No way!" He exclaimed involuntarily as Al's eyebrows shot up as he looked at him, not sure if he said it in disbelief or if he was genuinely impressed. He then turned to Jay, disbelief written all over his face. "Then what the hell was all that for!?"

Jay walked over to his horse, not glancing back at Al, "People tend to be honest when they have a gun pointed to their head or a sword at their neck. However, they're arguably more useful if they _**think**_ they're going to die but the threat isn't real…"

"That's cold, even for you…" Al breathed out and shuddered, "You have to tell us. When did you pick that up?"

Jay froze just for a second before lowering his head slowly, "...It...It doesn't matter…" his voice was low, shaky and small as he thought about what had happened years ago, his hands clenched into fists and his shoulders tensing slightly. Al and Dante glanced at each other anxiously as they both saw Jay falter slightly. But just before they could utter a single word to him, Jay relaxed and resumed what he was doing "...But what does matter is that you put on a new set of uniform and we get out of here. Who knows when another swarm of titans head our way?" He noted as he untied a package from one of the horses and extending it out to Al who took it.

"Thanks... I guess," Al said uncertainly, ripping the package open and holding his uniform in his hands, "Once I'm ready, we make a straight run for Shinganshina, survey the breach and head back to Trost. Understood?"

"Understood," Jay and Dante chimed in unison, jumping on to their horses as they waited for Al to put his uniform on.

* * *

 _ **One year later. Outside of Klorva District.**_

All three of them stared out to a small cluster of buildings a few hundred metres away. Jay shielded his eyes against the bright, harsh sunlight as he tried to focus more clearly. He absolutely hated sunlight. He found even the tiniest bit of it a nuisance, this to him was almost blinding. He prefered the dark way more, way more easier to sneak around and much more effective. Al was toying with his gauntlets, tinkering with the various buttons and hidden mechanisms, clearly bored out of his mind. He lay down in the sunlight, closing his eyes and trying to enjoy the warmth despite the noise Dante was making, who was whistling away in tune with the birds resting above them.

"Alright, the church is only a few blocks away from the main gate and are we sure the targets are in there?" Dante asked looking down the sight of his gun to a bird chirping in the trees.

"Leave the bloody birds alone, Dante, and yes I'm positive, this came directly from Erwin himself… Alright, Jay, let's hear what you've come up with" Al looked at Jay. Jay nodded, as he placed a rolled up piece of paper down and unrolled it to reveal detailed building schematics.

"The building of interest has a great deal of vantage points. However, since there aren't many exit points, we could enter quickly and take whoever's in there by surprise. This means we have to take down any lookout sentries simultaneously and block any escape. So far the two major exits are the bell tower and the front doors." Jay observed as he noted down various points on the schematics.

"There are no underground routes believe me I've looked at the district map and even went through my father's personal inventory, I say we do both." Al replied.

"So we're charging straight through the front door as well as playing it by stealth? How the hell does that work?" Dante gave Al a confused look as he perched his fedora high above his forehead.

"It can. Here's what we do: Dante. Monitor the perimeter. You and I will dispatch any lookout sentries above ground level and you'll access the building via the bell tower. You will give a signal to Al and he will charge through the front door. I'll take my own way through." Jay nodded to Dante and Al as his hand went to his mask, hidden inside of his coat. "If this goes to plan, then we can get what we came for in a matter of minutes…"

"That seems just about right," Al stood up and strapped his gauntlets on, feeling the familiar cold metal against his skin, "well come on then, we have a plan, now let's put it into action", Al walked towards the gate, Jay and Dante behind him.

* * *

 _ **A church in Klorva District, Wall Rose**_

Al stood against the pillar, breathing heavily as he tried to formulate a plan. He peeked around the corner and saw only the numerous broken benches and the scattered stone pieces, " _Now where the hell are those two?"_ Al thought to himself as he peered around the other side, unable to get a clear sight. " _One of them was just up on the altar but the other one was close by. Where's she gone now-?"_ Al's train of thought was interrupted when he heard the sound of an arrow whistling through the air. Al's eyes widened as he quickly ducked back into cover and felt the arrow brush past his cheek, leaving a small graze.

"Dammit! I was so close!" Al heard his assailant cry out in frustration as the sounds of boots on stone echoed in the church. "Careful now! If you're going to shoot arrows at me avoid the face would you please! A lot of people would be very disappointed if I came back home with a massive scar on my face!" Al called out in a mocking manner, unslinging his bow from his shoulder and loading it with an arrow.

"Well maybe if you give me a bigger target to shoot at, I won't have to!" his assailant replied back, loading another arrow.

Al smirked to himself, "Well, if you say so" he called out as he leapt out of his cover and aimed his bow at his assailant. Al was about to release the arrow when he saw a fist about to connect with him and ducked under it, rolling out of the way and looking back at his other assailant, her arms poised in a fighting stance. Al instantly aimed his bow at her and fired out, completely sure he couldn't miss. To his surprise she jerked to the side and narrowly avoided it.

"Impressive," Al grinned, "You know...it's impolite for us to not got acquainted, you know. Since you are trying to kill me, isn't it best we got to know each other a little better?"

"I wonder how well I'll get to know your corpse" she answered blankly, charging forward at Al.

"Straight to the point! Very charming indeed," Al grunted in laughter as ducked under her fist and swung his bow out, hoping to catch her in her stomach. She easily parried his attack and crouched down, sweeping Al off his feet and forcing him onto the floor. Al rolled over behind a bench and raised his arms just in time to block a knife being plunged into his neck, feeling the tremendous brute force she was exerting onto him. " _She's strong...I'm only just about keeping this knife from going right into me…_ " Al could just about think as most of his mind was concentrated on keeping the knife away when he looked up at her face, " _Black eyes, huh?_ " Al thought, looking at the eyes of his assailant that weren't filled with anything but sorrow and sadness. The eyes of a person who has killed and seen death many times. " _As gorgeous as she is, I need to stay focused_." Al held the knife at bay and assessed the situation. He had the cover of the bench right next to him which covers him from the archer but ' _Black eyes'_ was still inches away from slicing his throat open. his bow and arrow has ended up right in the open in the centre of the church, providing the archer a clear shot at him if he tried to retrieve it.

Al made his mind up and pushed the knife away from him and into the ground making 'black eyes' slightly confused and allowing him a few seconds to deal with the archer. Al took his chances and went straight for his bow and arrow, watching the archer vigilantly as they loaded another arrow into their bow and aimed at Al with the clear intent to kill. The archer pulled back on the bow and fired the arrow. Al instantly dropped down and slid along the floor, evading the arrow and grabbing his bow and arrow from the ground. He loaded his bow and before the archer could react and fired. The arrow landed right on the archer's cloak effectively pinning them down. Before Al could load another he heard light quick footsteps rushing towards him. He whirled around and raised arms to block the attack, just in time to see a flash of silver striking Al's arm. The knife tore the sleeves of Al's jacket and shirt underneath and scraped against the metal of his gauntlets, a high-pitched metal noise filling the air. ' _Black eyes'_ backed away slightly, obvious annoyance flashing across her face momentarily at not being able to land a successful blow to Al, who tore the remaining scraps of his sleeve revealing his carbon black gauntlets clearly. " _I wonder how I actually forgot about these things"_ Al amused to himself briefly before 'Black Eyes' began to lash out again with the knife in a series of strikes. Al countered them and then grabbed the knife blade itself, snapping it off the handle in one move and tossing the blade away leaving ' _Black Eyes'_ without a weapon.

"Now then, Miss?" Al retorted, getting into his stance, smirking, "Shall we dance?"

* * *

Dante cursed as he slid behind a chimney for cover, the sound of tiles shattering filling the air as the roof was torn apart with a series of bullets.

"Alright, relax, I'm not going anywhere! And if you're going to shoot, shoot properly!" Dante yelled out as he pushed his fedora back and tossed away the empty gun cartridges and reloaded his guns. ' _Dammit! If only we knew these guys were here, maybe the we could have pulled off the plan! These guys must have been sent to stop us from getting to that church...I have to shake them off!'._ He looked briefly from side to side until he heard the familiar sound of a hook embedding to the chimney behind him. His eyes widened as he slid down and aimed up high. Sure enough, he heard the cable winch and over the top of the chimney, he saw a hooded individual vault high above him brandishing two long swords. Dante cursed and fired twice, gritting his teeth and squinting his eyes because of the bright glare of the sun. The hooded man swung his blades, deflecting both of the shots but came crashing down onto the tiles, stumbling for control. Dante sensed his advantage and fired a couple more shots at the man, only for him to roll over the edge.

Dante gritted his teeth and sprinted off. ' _Dammit'_ Dante thought as he looked briefly back to see the hooded man pull himself over the edge and turn his head to his direction ' _He just doesn't give up now does he. Especially with his friend with the rifle I got to be way more careful...Just how the hell did we get into this mess!'_

He slid into a shadowy area between two buildings and paused to get his breath back. ' _If I carry on like this, I'm done for...'_ he thought as he looked around, ' _Dammit! what the hell would the others do?"_

Suddenly a loud shot echoed out and Dante turned his head to the sound. Suddenly, he grinned as an idea popped into his head, ' _So, let's take out our rifleman first'._ Carefully, he reached into his front pocket and pulled out a small picture of a girl with short wavy hair, large eyes and a dazzling smile.

'Alright then' he said quietly as he kissed the photo, put it back and brought out his guns, "Wish me luck, beautiful…"

* * *

"COME ON, WHERE THE HELL IS HE!? WE COULDN'T HAVE LOST HIM NOW!" a hooded soldier shouted as he aligned the sight of his rifle and scanned the area

His partner, a person of average height and green eyes looked around desperately, looking for any signs where he could be. ' _Dammit,'_ he thought to himself in frustration, ' _How could be lose him now! He was here just a second ago!'_

"I don't know!" ' _Green eyes'_ called out, "He could have gotten past us without us knowing!?"

"He was wearing a black coat, waving around a pair of swords and using the gear! You don't miss something that!" the soldier with the rifle yelled at ' _Green eyes'_ who gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Instead of arguing, maybe we should-!" ' _Green eyes'_ retorted back angrily only to stop instantly as he heard the familiar sound of a hook and the whirring of metal wire being reeled in close by.

Before he could shout any warning, there was a blur and his hooded comrade was sent flying. Jay had sped past ' _Green eyes'_ and kneed his comrade in the chest, winding him completely. His rifle clattered out of his hands and his hood went flying off revealing his closely shaved scalp as he skidded across the terracotta tiles, gasping for breath. He looked up and his face was that of horror as he saw the terrifying mask strapped to Jay's face looming over him. It was made out of scratched bronze scrap metal, messily joined together by bolts and metal wire. He could see his terrified expression being reflected by the blood red visor. But painted on the mask, was a dark red twisted smile which made his blood run icy cold. Before, he could utter a single word, Jay kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him toppling over the edge, out of sight.

Jay turned around only to find ' _Green eyes'_ close the gap between the two of them. Jay instinctively brought his arms but it was too late. His opponent had jabbed forward and his fist connected solidly with his chest, causing him to stagger back and almost lose his balance. Jay shook his head quickly and rushed forward, keeping low and sending his arm swinging in an arc. ' _Green eyes'_ quickly blocked this then grabbed his arm and his collar and kicked out at his leg. Jay felt his legs getting swept beneath him as he crashed onto his back. Quickly he rolled away before his opponent swung out and his fist broke the terracotta tiles, putting some distance between the two of them. he reached for the blades in his gear and unsheathed them, a sharp metallic sound piercing the air. He bent his knees slightly and tilted his head forward, his shoulders relaxed as his gloved hands gripped the handles and pointing them towards his opponent. He saw ' _Green eyes'_ expression falter slightly but he quickly regained his composure as he reached for his own swords.

' _You're damn good at hand to hand... better than me. And if you both are dealing with me, then it's safe to assume you must have some friends who are up against Al and Dante… You interfered with the plan, I'll give you that…'_ Jay thought as he tilted his head to the side, his gruesome mask's blood red visor glinting beneath the shadow cast by his hood ' _...but I want to see if you can cope with swords…"_ he thought as he lunged forward, ready to fight...

* * *

 _AN:_

 _Well I hope you enjoyed this Chapter. A lot happened in it._

 _As mentioned previously I'm open to any feedback to help improve my writing and these chapters._

 _Till next time_


	3. One of Us

' _Green eyes'_ only managed to bring up his swords just in time before Jay lunged forward and swung out with his right sword, sending him staggering back from the sheer force. Jay pressed his advantage and swung out his left sword at his legs, his sword shattering the tiles at his feet. ' _Green eyes'_ eyes widened as his arms whirled and he was tipped off balance. Jay quickly holstered on of his swords and his gloved hand gripped ' _Green eyes'_ by the ankle and pulled him back. With his right arm, he swung out, the pommel of his sword smashing into his jaw. ' _Green eyes's'_ teeth clacked together as he was swept of his feet and crashed onto the floor, stars starting to form in his vision.

"Pathetic…" Jay grunted and he holstered his swords and he leaned down to pick up ' _Green eyes'_ by the collar. ' _Green eyes'_ shook his head and with effort, grabbed Jay by his lapels, planted his feet on Jay's stomach, rocked back and kicked out. Jay was sent flying as he crashed and was sent rolling across the roof. ' _Green eyes'_ rocked onto his feet and spun around to see Jay, slowly getting up. ' _Now's my chance…' 'Green eyes'_ thought as he rushed and lunged forward, the sword point heading straight to Jay's chest. Jay leaned to the side, the blade nicking him by the sleeve and grabbed ' _Green Eyes's_ ' wrist. With the other hand, Jay yanked out one of the tiles and swung out. It shattered on impact. ' _Green Eyes' cried out and clutched his face in pain, staggering around unsteadily. Jay sensed his advantage, and kicked out at 'Green eyes'_ , his boot connecting with his stomach and sending him toppling out of sight.

Jay sunk onto one knee, watching ' _Green Eyes'_ and gasped in pain. His back was beginning to throb from where he had landed and he looked down to see his sleeve. sliced open and a thin red cut across his forearm. Jay instinctively covered it and gritted his teeth. ' _Dammit...I should be way more careful…'_ Jay chastised himself, ' _They're far more skilled than I thought, and that almost cost me… Although...'_ he allowed a small smile to himself, ' _That should be the last I'll be seeing of_ _ **them**_ …"

Jay unsheathed his swords, twirled them and ran, vaulting himself over the edge and zoomed off, not looking back.

* * *

' _Green eyes'_ started to regain his vision as he felt something shake at his collar. He murmured as he shook his head, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He blinked a couple times and his eyes focused to find himself dangling high above the cobblestone floor. His eyes widened in shock as he looked around frantically in panic. He looked up to see ' _Buzzcut'_ suspended by a hook embedded in the wall, his fingers wrapped around his collar.

"Damn it! Answer me ! You OK?!" ' _Buzzcut'_ yelled out.

"I'm fine, dammit!" ' _Green eyes'_ gritted his teeth, "Don't worry about me, we need to focus on the mission, for crying out loud!"

"Yeah but we don't where he is..." ' _Buzzcut'_ grunted as he pulled ' _Green Eyes'_ up onto the roof and then pulled himself up.

' _Green eyes'_ shook his head and unsheathed his blades, "It doesn't matter. He should be heading for the church. So we just got to get there first…"

' _And besides...whatever you are…'_ He thought as he looked down and saw a trail of red droplets leading to the edge, ' _You're not invincible…'_

* * *

Dante was sat down, cross legged on the edge of the roof whistling to himself with a small device on his lap. He was looking over his shoulder and all around him constantly as he tinkered with the device with a small screwdriver in his right hand.

Suddenly, he heard a fluttering sound next to him and he glanced to his side and saw a pigeon land next to him and slowly pace around. His eyebrows creased in annoyance as he kept on whistling but began to wave around frantically with his free hand at the bird.

"Shoo!" He called out in between whistling his tune, "Go! Away! Go! Away!"

The pigeon only cooed as it looked up at him and tilted his head, as if in curiosity at what Dante was doing. Dante grumbled only to hear fluttering sounds to his other side. He looked to the other side and saw two other pigeons land nearby and began to peck at the tiles. Dante whistling began to falter and drew to a stop as he saw the birds and sighed. He slowly got up to his feet and turned his head to the first bird.

"Well played, Mr Pigeon, well played," He tipped his fedora to the bird who had lost interest in Dante and began to absently peck at the tiles, "You've got me outnumbered, but I have another surprise…" he tossed the device down and began to walk off, "In three...two...one…"

* * *

The short man landed on the roof next to the Sharpshooter who had his rifle ready, "I'll admit he's one fast son of a bitch. Even I don't know where he is."

"It's not like he could have made it far using the gear. People are bound to notice." the Sharpshooter added in.

"A fair point but most of the people have fled the area and it won't be long before the Military Police show up."

"We'll smoke him out somehow. There's always a way-"

Suddenly the short man and Sharpshooter looked up to see a large pillar of smoke rising from a street a few blocks away.

"Not before he smokes himself out." the short man muttered.

"Great, now he's attacking civilians too...that son of a bitch." the Sharpshooter exclaimed, cocking the hammer on his rifle back.

"Relax like I just said, most of the civilians have already fled this area. I'll go and check it out. You stay here and try not to crap yourself if you see something..." the short man jumped off the roof and shot off towards the smoke. Below him in the shadows of an alleyway stood Dante grinning in success.

"Well can't argue with the Captain can I?" the Sharpshooter sat down on the roof and kept looking around in case he was attacked.

 _Now's my chance,"_ Dante shot two hooks into the walls above him jumped up into the air with his pistols raised in front of him aimed right at the Sharpshooter's head, he too turning with his rifle raising to aim at Dante. The Sharpshooter suddenly went to the side just as Dante was about to pull the triggers of his pistols, causing him to refrain from doing so. The Sharpshooter brought his rifle back up again but realised Dante had already gotten up close to him. Dante grabbed and the rifle from the barrel and pushed it upwards, the Sharpshooter firing the weapon and the recoil of the gun kicking back into his chest, pushing the Sharpshooter down onto the tiled roof. Dante threw the rifle to the side and took out his pistols...

The short man dropped down onto the roof and looked down at the smoke below, instantly knowing something was odd as he saw all the surrounding buildings unscatched. He jumped down to the street level and covered his mouth with sleeve as he walked deeper into the smoke and found what seemed to be the centre of the blast. Looking down he saw broken fragments of metal with charred marks left on the floor by gunpowder and picked up one of the fragments and looked at it carefully, swiping some of the powder on it and sniffing it slightly. "There's barely any gunpowder in this. The rest of it is...Crap! Why didn't I think about this before," he dropped the fragment onto the ground and ran out of the smoke, jumping back up the rooftops and heading back to where to where he left his subordinate behind...

Dante took out his pistols, "You know I'll give you due credit with your accuracy, it's actually quite good even for my standards but I'm afraid it just wasn't good enough," Dante cocked the hammer back on his pistol and aimed it at the Sharpshooter's head, "I'm sorry for having to do this but in all honesty you did shoot first so it's on your-"

Suddenly Dante heard the sound of wire reeling and his eyes darted to the side as he saw a flash of green speed towards him with the blades drawn. Dante brought his pistols to shield him and felt a strong force impact them as he saw the short man in front of him with his sword dug deep into Dante's pistols. The short man pulled his swords back prying pistols from Dante's hands and sending them flying backwards into the air." _Shit,"_ Dante was now unarmed and jumped back again evading the short man's jabs and swings just about until Dante pulled out another pistol from his back and aimed it at the short man. The short man ducked down slightly and tore his cloak off, throwing it in front of him blocking Dante's line of sight when he felt a pair of strong boots connect with his abdomen and send him flying back off the edge of the roof.

' _Dammit, I was so close!'_ Dante thought to himself sullenly as he found himself rushing towards the brick wall.

Dante grunted out in pain as he slammed into the wall. He cried out at he tumbled and his back hit the cobbled floor, pain rushing up his spine as he slid across the floor. He vision blurred as he lifted his head up groggily and pushed his hat up away from his eyes. He shook his head as managed to see a shadow drop down a few metres away from him. In realisation, he scrambled away, reaching out for one of his lost pistols. Suddenly, another green blur landed in front of him and slammed his foot down on the pistol. Dante cursed and looked up to see a short man with pale grey eyes staring down at him with an expression of annoyance on his face. Dante's head perked up and turned as he heard footstep rush towards him. There was another person about his age, the Sharpshooter, aiming his rifle at Dante's head.

"Let's see you try anything else, you cocky little-" the man with the rifle growled but was stopped when the other raised his hand and shook his head. "Captain!? He attacked us!"

"I'm aware of what this idiot did," The short man grumbled as he nudged Dante's shoulder with his boot, pushing the cloak away and revealing the Survey Corps symbol, "...But we don't kill our own...and I'd like to know why he would…"

* * *

Al and the Archer releases their arrows at the same time, sending them both whistling through the air as they both headed for their targets, scraping against each other mid air.

The Archer's shoulder thudded against the stone pillar as Al's arrow snagged at her cloak and pinned her to the wall again, the other arrow cutting across Al's arm and clattering loudly on the ground. Al winced slightly but sensing his advantage, he reloaded his bow and pulled at the string. But just before he could fire, ' _Black eyes'_ swung out and snapped the arrow in half. Al cursed and jumped back, quickly getting into his fighting stance

"Oh for goodness…" Al huffed out as he dodged punch after punch, "Can't we just kiss and make up and pretend this never happened? You Archer friend also has that option!"

"A bit late don't you think!?" the Archer shouted out, pulling the arrow out of the wall and scrambling for the bow she had dropped

"Well fair enough then, what about dinner? It's not too late for that. What d'you say?" Al grinned as he put some distance between him and ' _Black eyes'_ , his arms spread out in a shrug-like gesture.

Suddenly, there was a whistling sound and Al's eyes widened as he recognised it. Quickly, he lifted his arm up and his fist clenched onto the arrow. Al sighed as he looked at the arrow in his fist, the spearhead centimetres from his nose. With his thumb, he snapped the arrow in half and dropped the pieces onto the ground.

"Actually, maybe we got onto the wrong foot?" He admitted as he smoothed back his hair a slow smile spreading on his face, "Let's put the weapons down and introduce ourselves. Ladies first…" Al gave a mock bow of placation. ' _Black eyes'_ eyes narrowed as she was about to lunge forward but Al snapped his arm forward, sending a hook shooting out of his gauntlet and embedding itself into her gear. Al yanked the chain back suddenly and there was a loud metal screech as the gear was ripped open and ' _Black eyes'_ staggered back shielded her face from the metal shards that had been ripped from the gear.

The Archer quickly ran up to her comrade and aimed at Al, slowly pacing around him as ' _Black eyes'_ recovered from the attack.

"Alright...let's get this over with…" Al slammed his gauntlets together and brought his arms up, his eyes darting between both of his opponents.

' _Come on, Jay! Dante!'_ Al thought in worry, ' _I don't think I can buy much more time for you to get here…'_

* * *

"We have to get to that church! That's where he would be heading!" Buzzcut yelled out as they sped towards the building.

' _Green eyes'_ nodded but lowered his head, ' _Just what the hell are we dealing with? All we know is that we got some information out of nowhere about some of the First Interior Squad planning to increase their numbers. But that doesn't explain how_ _ **he**_ was there. He used the regular gear almost flawlessly. _It doesn't make sense!'_

"Hey! Do you think that-!" ' _Green eyes'_ looked up but stopped, his mouth hanging open as he saw Jay barrelling into ' _Buzzcut'_ , one hand grabbing his lapel and the other clutching at a sword. Before 'Green eyes' could scream out, Jay swung out, slicing ' _Buzzcut's'_ harness and destroying his gear, a sharp metallic sound piercing the air.

"Surprise!…" Jay growled out savagely as he kicked off, sending ' _Buzzcut'_ tumbling down charging towards ' _Green eyes'_ , swinging out. ' _Green eyes'_ quickly snapped out of his trance and curled into a tight ball, the sword missing him by inches. He uncurled and looked around wildly for any sight of Jay who had completely disappeared. He quickly averted his sight to his comrade who had crashed into the roof of the church. Instantly, he changed his direction and sped over, landing next to him, holstering his swords.

"Oh God! You OK!? Tell me you're OK!?" ' _Green eyes'_ blurted out, checking his friend.

' _Buzzcut'_ looked up at his friend, squinting and clearly dazed but waved towards the bell tower, "Be careful… I saw him go to the bell tower..."

But at that point, ' _Green Eyes'_ had already turned on his heels and sprinted off to the bell tower, his teeth clenched and his fists gripping at the sword handles as his knuckles turned white.

' _That's it! This has gone far enough!"_ He thought savagely as he fired a hook into the wall and reeled himself up to the bell tower. He looked around angrily, his eyes scanning the top of the bell tower.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?" He screamed out, scanning the horizon, "COME OUT AND FACE ME, YOU SICK COWARD!"

' _Green eyes'_ looked around. There was no sign of him

"I SAID! COME OUT AND FACE ME!" He screamed out.

…

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

' _Green eyes'_ whirled around, to see Jay swing down. Before ' _Green eyes'_ could even react, Jay swung towards him and barrelled into his chest, winding ' _Green eyes'_ and causing him to drop his swords as they both spiralled from the bell tower. ' _Buzzcut'_ slowly got up onto to see the two of them crash into him, sending all three of them tumbling over the edge.

Jay quickly shook his head as he regained focus and fired a hook into the church wall above the glass stained window. He reached out and snagged both of their collars before all three of them were yanked backwards towards the window.

The glass splintered and shattered as three bodies came crashing through, causing Al and his opponent to dive away, shielding their heads from the coloured shards raining down. Al looked back over his shoulder to see Jay crash down, sending one sprawling onto the altar and the other tumbling onto onto the glass covered floor. Jay pushed himself up onto his feet and growled as he swung his blades, barely missing 'buzz cut' as he rolled off the altar just in time. Jay quickly dashed over to Al and turned around, adjusting his grip on his swords and facing his two opponents, who were already getting up and began to circle him. Al brought his arms up as his gaze switched from both ' _Black eyes'_ and the Archer.

"Where the hell were you!?" Al called out, not taking his eyes off his opponents.

"If it wasn't apparent, we had company!" Jay growled, twirling his swords, "Anyway, where's Dante, he should be here…" He faltered as out of the corner of his eye, he saw who Al was up against and let out a low groan, "...Seriously?"

Al paused and then looked at his opponents closely before shrugging, "What? I didn't have much time… Besides why not enjoy it while it lasts?" He added finally with a smirk, "That's besides the point, It's 4 against 2... Just like old times, huh?" Al grunted in amusement as he clenched his fists.

"...They should have brought more…" Jay stated cooly as he lowered his head and was about to charge forward, his grip tightening on his blades.

"Everyone lower your weapons! You idiots with the mask and gauntlets as well…" A loud voice rang out. Everyone's heads turned to the person's voice who was a short man with a pale grey gaze.

"Captain Levi, but they're…." The boy with green eyes exclaimed in protest.

"You heard what I said, Eren. Now do it!" Levi ordered in annoyance. Both Jay and Al glanced at each other in mild surprise as both lowered their weapons, glancing at each of their opponents warily and then to Dante who had followed Levi and Jean in.

"Yeah, um, everyone, drop your weapons, like the Captain said...we're all friends here, all fellow Survey Corp members so...um...no need to panic…" Dante added with a wide smile, causing Levi to fix him with an annoyed scowl.

"W-What the hell do you mean Survey Corps?" Connie exploded in outrage, "They're the ones who attacked **us**!"

"Let's not lose our head right now shall we?," Levi called out calmly, "Yes these three attacked us but they didn't know we were Survey Corps as well. The same goes for us. Now I'm ordering all of you... to stand down..."

"But Captain, you seriously can't believe them. It could be a disguise" Eren walked up to Levi and muttered, expressing his uncertainty about the three people who moments ago had tried to kill them all.

"Actually, they're not..." said a calm voice from the entrance. Erwin stood there, smiling as he walked in, followed by Armin "I needed to get you two groups together,"

Commander Erwin , Sir!" everyone said in unison.

"At ease, soldiers" Erwin waved dismissively, "Golden Spear Company, I'm sure you heard of Levi's squad from the Survey Corps, I assume. I'm afraid that I can't say the same for you, these three are also Survey Corps but are in a faction which officially...doesn't exist."

"I'm sorry sir but what's the point of all this," Jean asked, "What's the point of getting us together here like this,"

"Unfortunately I don't have the time to explain the full story but the fact is that the situation has become critical indeed. So this is why Levi's squad will be gaining three new temporary members."

"This is outrageous," Jean stated, clearly annoyed.

"With all due respect,sir..." Jay remarked, annoyance apparent in his voice "It doesn't help putting the most secretive faction in the military together with today's front page news!"

Eren briskly walked up to Armin and spoke in a hushed tone, "Armin, you knew about this?"

Armin shook his head, " I'm just as lost as you are. The Commander just told me to accompany him to discuss plans involving the squad. B-But nothing like this…"

"Impractical but necessary…" Erwin continued, "Your new objective is to protect humanity's most valuable asset, Eren Yeager..."

"Sir, I'm sure that we have that...other thing...we were tasked to do…" Jay muttered out loud, glancing at Levi squad and picking his words carefully

"Yes I am aware of your current objective and that is still a high level priority," Erwin looked at the members of Squad Levi,"but I'll leave it to you to find out".

Suddenly Dante looked up as he rushed over to a spot on the floor.

"Uh, guys, sorry to interrupt but...I think someone was here before us..." he said getting everyone to look at him, "There are traces of gunpowder here," he picked a bit up and tasted it. His face visibly recoiled in disgust as he made a gagging sound and wiped his hand down his shirt "But it's not your everyday gunpowder, no this thing is only used by our...mutual friends..."

"But what kind of gunpowder?," Armin said nervously.

"The kind that requires a small amount to bring down a small house...And the trail leads to the organ..." Dante noted as he, Connie and Al went over to push it past. Levi grumbled to himself and walked past towards Erwin and asked, "Are we sure we can trust them? We were at each other's throats minutes ago and now we're a squad?" Erwin paused then said, "You don't have much of a choice now..."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Dante breathed out, horrified.

"Explosives!" Al yelled out

"Everyone, move!" Jay barked as they all sprinted out of the open doors. As soon as the last one left, The church exploded, sending debris crashing over their heads and thick, black dust swirling around the area. They all dived forward, covering their heads as the dust enveloped them all and the debris rained down on them.

* * *

 _ **AN**_

 _Hello again :)_

 _You wouldn't believe how hard it was to try and structure these fights to bring out the best in the GSC. But hey, it's done! To clear things up, this is an ongoing thing and the plan was to_ _ **try**_ _to_ _release each chapter on a weekly basis. So you can usually expect to find a new chapter every week but it will be at any time near the end of the week._

 _We really hope you enjoyed this chapter. It took quite a while to complete. Any feedback is more than welcome and follows keep us going._

 _Stay tuned for the next chapter. It's going to get a little… crazy..._


	4. Paint the Walls Red

**Chapter 4 - Paint The Walls Red**

 **AN:**

Sorry for this chapter being late. You'll understand at the end why it took a while but thanks for being patient.

* * *

As the dust cleared, they all got up, coughing and aching all over.

Dante groaned as he picked up his fedora, brushed off the dust and put it back on, "Son of a... Is everyone alright?" he yelled out and was answered by a series of nods and groans.

Al got up and stared at the rubble at his feet,"...Someone on the inside knew about this...they tried to bury us all..."

"Oh God!" Connie cried out, "we already having enough problems with the titans, now we got to deal with this?!"

As the others were arguing, Dante, still not taking his eyes from the heap of rubble that had once been the church, asked, "What do we do now?"

"Right now, because of what was left in there, whoever did this is most likely thinking we died in there...what we need now is a safe place to hide out and get everything together..." Jay said brushing down his clothes.

Al nodded, "and I just happen to know the perfect pla-".

"Everyone! Look!" They all heard Armin shout out. They turned their heads to where he was pointing and in the distance, they could see two people standing on a roof from far away, watching them. One of them stood up straight and tapped the other on the arm as if they had realised they had been spotted before both of them began to speed off.

' _I recognise the gear…'_ Levi realised in horror, _'It's anti-human gear. How the hell is that possible!?'_

"Oh crap! They were watching us!" Jean gritted his teeth, "They must have blown up the church!"

"STOP THEM AT ALL COSTS! DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!" Erwin barked out.

Before anyone could notice, Jay quickly pulled his mask away and tucked it deep into his jacket. He pulled his hood and pulled up his bandana up to his nose. "On it, Sir!" Jay growled as he sprung onto his feet and sprinted towards the runner heading towards the east, launching up into the air with his gear.

"Dante go and get the other one. We'll rendezvous on the wall above the gate" Al ordered as Dante got back up and swung up onto a rooftop.

"Armin, Jean go with Dante. Sasha, Connie go with J-" Levi ordered but was cut short by Al.

"Send whoever you want with Dante. There's no point with Jay, he'll be fine on his own" Al interrupted.

"Yeah, you two!" Dante clapped his hands and pointed to Jean and Armin, "You're with me!"

"What makes you think we're going with you after you tried to **kill me**!?" Jean demanded, annoyed.

"Oh, come on, where's your sense of adventure, horse face?" Dante grinned as he sprinted off, followed by Jean and Armin.

"We'll head to the wall and wait for the others to rendezvous at the wall. Come on" Al said, walking off down the street.

"Wait what about the Comman-" Eren asked until he turned around and realised he was gone.

"Eren you have to keep moving, there might be more of them out there and who knows they might be targeting you" Mikasa grabbed Eren's arm and dragged him till he rushed forward behind Al.

"DANTE!" Jean called out as he and Armin ran towards Dante standing on the edge of a roof.

Dante lifted his hand forcing Jean and Armin to stop in their tracks.

"What the hell!? We ought to be chasing them right now! Not waiting to catch our breath!"

"No," Dante said as he pulled out a gas tank from his gear and held it over the edge of the roof. "He's inside the building, he's going to come out soon and I've got to time this perfectly…"

Seconds had passed. Jean was staring at him as if he had lost his mind, "Are you insane!? We have to go and catch them!" Dante stayed silent and Armin looked on, waiting expectantly. Should he help Jean or should he trust Dante's judgement in this? "Dante, I think Jean has a po-" Armin began

"No...Shut up, I need to focus," Dante snapped back. "Now… here...we...go…" he said as he let go of the tank and backed away from the edge. Armin and Jean stared at him in disbelief as Dante sat down, crossing his legs and counting the seconds that had passed. Suddenly, an audible clang would be heard followed by a loud groan four seconds later and a wide smile appeared on Dante's face as the other two rushed over to see a soldier lying on the ground and the canister rolling across the floor.

"You've got to kidding me…" Armin breathed out, staring at the unconscious body in disbelief and Jean couldn't help but look back at Dante who was still sitting down on the tiles.

Dante tilted his head and smiled sweetly, "You were saying?..."

Jean replied with an angry grunt.

The three of them jumped down and inspected the soldier that lay on the ground, Dante checked his pulse, "he's alive, his pulse is weak, but he's still alive for interrogation," Dante hoisted him on his shoulders, "well let's get back to the wall, Al said to rendezvous there".

* * *

 _ **At the other side of Klorva District**_

Jay ducked behind a chimney and cursed as he heard two gunshots ring out loud the tiles exploded next to him. _"He's armed...who knows how many bullets he's got left...I need to come up with a plan and quickly,"_ He thought as he reached for his belt.

The soldier pulled back the hammer of his guns and slowly crept around the roof. " _Only about 20 metres away...A piece of cake…"_ He thought to himself as he breathed out and jumped. He fired a hook and swung around, his pistols aiming in front of him and ready to fire at first sight of Jay. But to his shock, as soon as he swung round, the area had erupted into the smoke, sending the person staggering back and shielding his eyes.

Jay's arms wrapped around the soldier tightly, both the force in which he collided with him and the utter shock sent both of them losing their balance and crashing into the rooftop, sending the clay tiles spinning down and crashing onto the floor. Both of them tumbled down, spiralling out of control towards the edge. Jay grabbed him by the collar and kept punching down on his face. The soldier bunched his fist and sent it colliding into the side of Jay's head, causing him to let go and slide down the edge. The soldier pulled out a knife from his belt and plunged it deep into the tiled roof, slowing himself to a halt safely.

Jay felt himself slide down to the edge and felt the floor beneath him give way. Just before he would have fallen, Jay's fingers snapped onto the edge of the gutter, sending his legs dangling beneath him. " _GET UP! GET UP!"_ A thought screamed aloud in Jay's head as he used his strength and pulled himself up, his lower body now resting above the edge. He heard a clattering noise causing Jay to look up and see the soldier sliding down towards him wielding a gun and aiming for Jay's head. Instinctively, Jay's hand grabbed at the muzzle and pulled it aside just before the soldier had pulled the trigger and blowing his brains out. With his other hand, Jay grabbed a fistful of the soldier's uniform and placed his feet against the wall and kicked out. Both of them toppled over the edge and for a moment, both of them were suspended in the air, almost motionless. Then time began to speed up, the air began to rush past them as they both fell, wrestling and spiralling down towards the ground.

A series of crack could be heard as both of them crashed down through the top of a wagon, causing several people nearby to flee in panic. Seconds had past. The soldier had staggered to his feet and looked around. His vision was blurry and his head was throbbing in pain. His pistols were holstered as he tried to step down from the wagon. _"Where...where the hell is he?..." he_ thought groggily as he looked around but before he could take another step, he felt a strong pair of arms wrap around his neck, dragging him back and choking him. He thrashed out violently, clawing at the arms holding his neck in place desperately before finally going limp. Jay let out a sigh and let the body drop to the cobblestone floor. He looked around at the numerous bewildered faces watching what had happened, trying to keep their distance away from the incident. _"Typical,"_ Jay thought as he looked from them to the soldier then walked back to the carriage, where he spied some rope, _"still the job was done no matter what"_ he thought as he tied the soldier up, fired his 3DMG and set off to the walls.

* * *

 _ **The Wall**_

Al held a brown case in his hand and walked over to Mikasa with it, "You'll be needing this."

"What's inside that?" Mikasa asked blankly.

"Oh just some Maneuver Gear which you need since I destroyed your previous one. Sorry about that." Al gave Mikasa a smile, who simply rolled her eyes in slight annoyance, "I'll be fine as I am."

"Well you see regulations say you can't be on top of the wall without gear so if you don't take it then it's my obligation as a higher ranking soldier to escort you down to ground level." Al smiled innocently as he opened the lid revealing the gear laid out neatly in padded slots, "The choice is yours."

"Whatever you say." Mikasa took the case from Al who walked away to Levi.

"We'll need to clear this place out when Jay and Dante bring those two here" Levi said, a small cloud forming in front of his face.

"They'll come back with them." Al replied back, stepping side by side with him. "I'm sure of it."

"If it not then I'll be disappointed Lieutenant" Levi retorted, walking off.

' _Southerners...so hostile…'_ Al thought to himself as he walked up to the edge of the wall and looked down at the whole of Klorva district, the ruins of the church visible with some smoke still rising.

"You mind telling me what this unnecessary commotion is all about" a Garrison soldier approached both of them, looking annoyed.

"Ah, District Captain Shellton I apologise on behalf of my squadmates here for any disruptions they may have caused." Al answered back cheerfully.

"I expected you to be more competent in managing your squadmates Lieutenant, your father wouldn't be impressed." Shellton remarked firmly.

"No need to involve my father in all of this, District Captain, he is a busy man which you should know...Although there is one favour I need." Al admitted, the smile on his face growing wider.

"If it's a promotion you ain't getting one." Shellton cut in, annoyed.

Al chuckled and shook his head, "Actually I need this section of the wall cleared out"

"Now you're just pushing your luck Lieutenant. You really think I would just do that just because of your fathe-"

"No I need this part of the wall cleared of all Garrison personnel and the elevator to be shut until we are done"

"And why shouldn't I suspect this is for personal reasons"

"Because I can confirm that myself" Levi stood behind the District Captain, giving him his usual blank stare.

"And just who the hell are you?" Captain Shellton spun around to face Levi.

"Captain Levi of the Survey Corps." Levi answered back.

Captain Shellton's jaw dropped momentarily until he regained his composure, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Levi. Sorry to be so blunt but can you advocate for Lieutenant Der Macht over here about having this portion of the wall cleared"

"They were my orders to deliver. Seems like the Lieutenant didn't mention that did he?" Levi fixed Al with an icy stare until he looked back at the District Captain.

"Very well then Captain Levi, "District Captain Shellton walked past Levi and cleared his throat before barking out his orders, "All Garrison personnel in this portion of the wall are dismissed from their duties and the elevator is to be closed until further notice!"

The Garrison soldiers looked at the District Captain before quickly wrapping up what they were doing and heading over in the other elevator. The District Captain walked on further to the other end of the wall and supervised the Garrison soldiers on duty there.

A few minutes later Al and the others turned around to look at the lift as the rest of his squad and Levi squad arrived, throwing in two soldiers in uniforms that had no brand on them to the floor. Their arms were bound behind their back and they were gagged. One of them was bruised more badly than the other but they both stared at them, their eyes filled with hatred and deep disgust. Al stared at them and then up at them, his eyebrow raised. "That took you long enough?"

"What? Patience and timing is key…" Dante smirked, "And yes, I did just say that."

"Whatever you say. I've got this portion of the wall cleared out for however long we need it for and no one will interfere with us since I thought none of us would want to go back down to the streets since we were all nearly blown up in an explosion so the wall is really all we have to conduct our improvised interrogation on these two gentlemen here… And not all of us need to be here so some of us can go to the Survey Corps Precinct..."

Dante clapped his hands and shrugged, "Well, I guess that means I'm off then, it's freezing up here anyway...Anyone who wants to join me, feel free to do so, the rest of you crazy kids who want to stay up here, have fun!" he began to walk off, his hand raised in farewell.

Jean nodded as he looked at the Connie, Sasha and Armin "There isn't much point in staying here, let's go," he muttered as they all followed Dante.

Al nodded and spied Jay tucking his hands into his pockets, standing still and eyeing the two soldiers in front of him, his face still covered by his hood and his bandana _'Well no surprise there…'_ Al noted but then noticed Eren and Mikasa staying exactly where they were. "Aren't you going to join them?" He asked, his head tilted in curiosity.

"If these guys are as bad as the Commander claims they are, then I want to find out in person just what the hell we're dealing with," Eren stated firmly.

"I'm staying as well…" Mikasa muttered and said no more on the matter

"Enough with the small talk, let's get straight to business." Levi walked over past Al and stood in front of the two soldiers, removing their gags.

"Well it's about fucking time you removed that filthy rag from my mouth, god knows where that's-" the first soldier's words were reduced to mere mumbles and groans as Levi shoved the gag back onto him.

"Foul mouth," Levi still held the gag of the second soldier, looking at him, "I just hope you're not the same as well".

The second soldier remained silent, tugging at the ropes that bound his hands behind his back and looking at everyone observantly.

"Let's start with basics then, what's your name and the name of your eager friend over here." Levi calmly asked.

"...The name's Konrad, he's Ethan, "Konrad nodded his head at Ethan who groaned with anger at Konrad.

"..For goodness sake," Ethan snarled at Konrad, giving him an accusing glance, "What is it with you. Ever since she had shown up, you've gotten soft...The Konrad I knew wouldn't have batted an eyelid to someone like her."

"Ethan... just shut up! I know what I'm doing..." Konrad barked at Ethan, who did as Konrad said.

"Ok then who do you work for, Konrad?" Levi asked, surprisingly nice.

"We work for the-"

"We ain't gonna tell you shit," Ethan burst out in sudden rage, "We don't give a single fuck that you're the ever so renowned soldier of humanity or whatever the fuck it is that people say you are. You're just some dwarf whose mother was a-".

Levi flipped Ethan over onto his front and dragged him to the edge of the wall and knelt on one knee beside him, his face inches away from Ethan's ear.

"You're going to listen to me very carefully and keep that mouth of yours shut," Levi said, his voice fairly calm but with authority and dominance, "I didn't mention this before because I thought you might not have that thick of a skull but clearly you do. Rule one. You only answer once I've finished saying my question. Rule 2. Never insult me. Rule 3. Never insult on top of the wall you hear me?" Ethan remained silent. Levi twisted his arms and pushed them up to his head, his bones cracking and causing him to scream out in pain, "I said do you understand!"

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I UNDERSTAND! NOW LET GO OF MY ARM!" Ethan screamed at him in pain.

"Good," Levi said, pushing Ethan's arm harder and breaking it, the sound of bones snapping cracked in the air. Levi released Ethan's arm and threw him back next to Konrad, "Now Ethan why don't you tell who you work for?"

"I serve the man who will bring about an end to your day-" Ethan cringed out when Levi slammed his foot down onto Ethan's head which slammed onto the cold ground, an audible crack was heard as Ethan's nose was broken.

"Well you're no good," Levi turned to look at Konrad, "I forgot, you were saying something before your dear friend Ethan here rudely interrupted you."

"We work for a man who we only refer to as the General." Konrad told Levi.

"And this _**General**_ , does he work for anyone or is he the man in total control."

"He doesn't have superior to my knowledge."

"Who funds him?"

"An anonymous funder gives us money and supplies. We don't know his name for obvious reasons."

Levi opened his mouth but Konrad shook his head and cut in smoothly "You really shouldn't bother. Like I said he's anonymous."

Levi frowned and grunted, _'Well this isn't going anywhere. This one is just incompetent, the other would take far too long, it's time we don't have. If I had my tools then I would have gotten everything by now but I don't have that luxury. I'm going to have to rely on one of_ _ **them**_ _...Well...let's see if these kids are worth working alongside with..."_ Levi's eyes looked from Ethan and Konrad to the Jay and Al.

"Jayden!" Levi called out, turning to see the hooded person look up at him

"Sir?" Jay asked, his voice flat.

"You've been awfully quiet…" Levi noted to Jay, who only tilted his head and stared at him in mild curiosity, "...Let's see what you can do…"

Al stood up and shook his head, "With all due respect sir, I don't think that would be wise…"

Levi then turned and then glared at him in annoyance, "Why? You think you can do a better job?"

Al breathed out wearily, "No, it's not what I'm suggesting, it's just…"

"Well then, you shouldn't have a problem then…" Levi cut in as he nodded to Jay.

Jay stepped forward, Al stopped Jay from walking on, his hand resting on Jay's shoulder," Promise me you won't lose your head in front of everyone else." Al spoke quietly, out of earshot from everyone else.

"...It'll be fine..." Jay answered back. He tried to take another step forward but was stopped again by Al, his grip on his shoulder tightening.

"...Don't screw this up for all of us, I'm serious..." Al let go of Jay's shoulder and allowed him to go forward. Jay walked up to Ethan and Konrad, observing what he could just by looking at them.

"What the midget had enough!?" Ethan jeered, "Oh boo hoo, go and cry to your-"

Suddenly, Jay blurred forward and sent his fist crashing down on Ethan's head, sending him sprawling onto the ground. "I ask the questions around here...and you answer…." Jay muttered out loud.

"Gah! You adopted little s-...Is that it?" Ethan spluttered, looking at Jay,"...Who the hell do you even think you are!? Huh!? You're nothing, fucking nothing!."

Jay simply stared at him blankly, as if he was unimpressed, "Is that all?" Jay asked as he looked at him. Seeing that it did nothing, Ethan gritted his teeth and spat out at him.

"The Talbots didn't adopt you out of love, hell not even out of pity, they only wanted you so you could act as their pawn in their game of noble power and safeguard their position otherwise they would be nothing now. Not to mention your real parents, killed off by those rad-".

Jay grabbed his head and forced it back, _'This could have gone a lot less painfully,'_ he thought as he brought out one of his hand grips and began to beat Ethan's face, the muffled thuds beginning to get faster and faster. Konrad's eyes narrowed and clenched his jaw, pulling at the ropes restraining his wrists. Eren stared at the sight, cringing slightly with every thump that could be heard. Only Mikasa and Levi stood there and remained silent.

"Now then... shall we get on with the questions?" Jay wiped his hand grip with a cloth, "Allow me to repeat what I said. So question one," Jay nudged Ethan's head with the toe of his boot," Tell me what the hell the SG are doing here?"

"Go to hell!" Ethan half groaned, half whimpered.

Jay kicked Ethan in the face, "What the hell the SG are doing here?"

"I ain't telling you anyth-" Ethan began but was cut short when Jay kneed him in the chin. His teeth clacked together and he bit his tongue, blood bursting from it like a balloon filled with water.

"I feel like giving you an extra chance so let me ask one final time. What. The hell. Are the SG. Doing here" Jay asked, grabbing Ethan by his collar, his voice authoritative. "Feel free to intervene," Jay tilted his head to Konrad, who was watching, "You probably enjoy seeing him getting beaten just as much as me," he remarked as he continued to beat Ethan's face.

' _Dammit! He's not going to stop until I say something!'_ Konrad realised in horror as he gritted his teeth and exhaled sharply. "Fine! Alright! What else do you think we're doing here?" Konrad blurted out before Jay could do something else, "We're scouts for crying out loud! The bottom of the food chain…"

"Trust me...lying to me is the worst option you can take. For a scout, you're a bit too well equipped and skilled for that rank," Jay let go of Ethan, tilted his head and rubbed his temples as he nodded to Ethan, "Him...It's believable I guess…"

Ethan looked as if he was about to explode, Konrad merely lowered his head and grumbled out loud.

"Well, seeing that even you don't know what you're doing here, we might as well try something else. The man you work for… Who is he?" Jay began staring at both of them.

"Are you deaf!?" Ethan spat out, "We don't know his goddamn name!"

"Oh I know, I believe you," Jay gave him the slightest of nods, "But you have to refer to him somehow...something memorable but imposing...something like the Senator?"

Konrad's and Ethan's face fell as they heard him say his name, "How do you know that?..." Konrad asked in disbelief. Jay turned his head to him and tilted it in a quizzical manner, "Didn't you hear me! I said how the hell did you know that!?"

"Oh please you really think I wouldn't know what his name is. I've been after him for about the past four months and I know how to make people talk" Jay remarked as he got up and slowly paced away, his head lowered, "Besides when you're me...you know these type of things for a long time…"

"It's must be easy for you then…" Ethan growled out.

Jay stopped and turned his head ever so slightly, "...I beg your pardon?"

"I said it must be easy for you...considering that you're the Mangler, aren't you?" Ethan growled out, gaining everyone's attention, "Yeah...you know these types of things for a long time huh?" he sneered.

Jay froze instantly. Al's eyes darted from Ethan to Jay and noticed a horrified expression flash on his face. Quickly, Jay regained his composure and shrugged, "Have you lost it? Isn't that something parents say to scare their kids…?"

"What's he talking about?" Eren blurted out, "What do you mean by, 'he's the Mangler?'

Al gave him a warning glance and was about to answer before Konrad had beaten him to it, "You haven't heard?" his voice had risen, "He's a monster! He's a cold-blooded psychopath and you're WORKING WITH HIM!"

"The fact that you think he even **exists** makes me wonder how competent you are. Maybe we should throw you off the walls, you're no use to us…" Jay muttered, the tone of his voice unrecognisable.

"Enough! We need to focus on the task at hand!" Al called out, desperately trying to resolve the situation.

"What?" Ethan sneered, "Too scared to hide the fact your friend over here is a killer!? Huh?"

"What the hell do you mean, hmm?" Levi cut in, annoyed, "You clearly know something. So what is it!?"

"Do you seriously think we have time for this!?" Jay growled, "This has nothing to do with this…"

"Jay's right. We really don't-" Al intervened but was cut off.

"We should hear what they have to say…" Mikasa glared at both Al and Jay before returning her gaze to Konrad.

"Like I said! He's a serial killer! The Mangler has been around for at least a year and almost every night, he kills God knows how many!" Konrad gritted his teeth, "You honestly think Kenny the Ripper was the only psychopath around, well, here's the one terrorising the North." Everyone slowly turned their heads to Jay who was still looking out to the horizon. He was completely silent now, not trying to intervene at all or defend himself.

"You're not suggesting that he's…" Eren trailed off. "He can't be…" Levi tilted his head at an angle, his expression unreadable while Mikasa was staring at Jay, clenching at her swords and remaining completely silent.

"I'm not suggesting it, I'm flat out saying it." Konrad added, regaining everyone's attention "So don't pretend we're the enemy here when he's the real psychopath here and you're meant to be working with him...And the one thing that you should know…" Konrad continued, "Is that the Mangler always carries a metal mask with him..."

Everyone stared at Ethan and Konrad, their eyes wide and their blood turning cold. Eren glanced at the rest of his squadmates. Al was staring at the floor, his jaw clenched and his mouth was a thin line. Mikasa's lips were pursed and her hands was gripping her sword handles tightly, her knuckles turning white. Even Levi looked a little troubled as his eyes were narrowed and his brow was furrowed.

Eren blinked as he hear a low gravelly sound. He saw everyone's face crease in confusion as they looked around to each other, wondering where the sound had come from. It suddenly hit all of them as they all slowly turned their heads to Jay. He still had their back to them but his head was lowered, his shoulders moving gently up and down.

He was laughing.

Everyone stared at him in growing dread. The air was thick with sick anticipation. Finally, he stopped and let out a small sigh, "...Am I?... Hmm?" He turned to face the two of them. The corners of his mouth had turned slightly upwards forming an unnatural, greatly disturbing smile as he stepped closer towards them, the voice slow, low and cruel, clearly savouring every moment "...Am I this big, bad scary psychopath which may or may not exist? Am I a deranged killer wearing a mask and roaming around at night...And if the answer to those questions are 'yes'..." he stopped as he tilted his head to the side at an agonisingly slow rate, "...What does that make you?..."

Ethan stared at him, his eyes wide with growing fear. Konrad stared at Jay, his jaw clenched and his eyebrows furrowed.

"...It should be pretty obvious what I'm thinking right now…" Konrad growled back, the ropes at his wrists become looser and looser.

"And you think you and the rest of your little group can stop us?" Jay snarled, his eyes widened.

"We kill you for this!" Ethan spat out furiously, trying to mask his terror with sheer anger, as Jay regarded him with an annoyed glance "You hear me, we'll kill you for this! You just had to show up and ruin EVERYTHING! YOU'RE THE REAL THREAT HERE! I PROMISE YOU! WE'LL GUT YOU AND PARADE YOUR CORPSE IN THE STREETS!"

"Oh, how intriguing..." Jay mumbled out loud as he stood up and walked away looking out to the horizon and started drumming his fingers on his gear, "Do you want to throw in some more empty threats at me or what?"

"And think about what we're going to do with your friends!" Ethan spat out a phlegm of blood and spittle flew out as he screamed out, and fixed Mikasa with an icy glare, "You were meant to be taken a long time ago you know. People in the capital would have paid your weight in gold to get their hands on you if it hadn't been for Mummy's boy over here!" He stared at Eren, his eyes burning with hatred, "You're not humanity's last hope! You're a joke! Imagine what we could do we could use your titan ability, maybe see if we can recreate it after experimenting on you. After that we can feed you to the titans with the rest of your friends! Finally for you, you pathetic dwarf! We'll find out how much you really live up to the title of humanity's strongest when we set the entire underground city ablaze. Let you watch people below slowly burn in hell! I'll enjoy seeing you stand and watch, unable to save them from their living nightmare. As for the others, they're expendable! We'll just kill them all one by one! Things have already been planned for you, Talbot as well as your comrades! Mark! My! Words!"

Jay had stopped drumming his fingers on his gear.

All eyes darted from Ethan to Jay. Jay didn't move an inch, he remained perfectly still like a statue as if he wasn't breathing. Even Al didn't even know what to expect now.

"...So that's what you know… Thank you for your cooperation…" Jay stated, his voice deadly calm. He turned slowly around and faced the two of them." 4 to 1…."

Everyone looked at him in confusion, either trying to piece together what he had said or trying to figure out what he was going to do next. Al's face was creased in confusion for a moment. 'What on Earth was he-?" He thought to himself but stopped, his face dropped with sick realisation.

"JAY! NO-" Al yelled out, only managing to take a step towards him. Jay reached for his belt and threw something down, smoke billowing out from the floor and blinding everyone. Al staggered back, shielding his eyes and coughing. Gritting his teeth, Al reached down for his swords and yelled out, "STOP HIM BEFORE HE KILLS THEM BOTH!" He yelled out as he looked around wildly, trying to see if anyone was nearby.

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?" Levi called out, bringing out his swords only to be cut off by a high pitched, blood-curdling scream.

"He's over here!" Mikasa called out as she rushed forward, her swords brandished and darting towards the sounds of screaming. _"We can't let him do this!"_ Al urged himself on but was stopped by a sickening squelching noise, and blood sent flying. He brought his arm up just in time before hot, filthy blood and tiny strips of flesh would have splattered onto his face and on his uniform. Al stared at his blood soaked front only for a second before something strong swung and slammed into his shoulder. Al sprawled onto the floor, his swords skittering on the floor. He forced himself up onto his hands and knees and looked up.

He thought as his eyes fixed on an object in front of him. He squinted as if to focus on it but stopped, his jaw hanging open in horror. It was a severed human arm. ' _Oh God...Oh dear God…'_ Instantly, he shook his head and looked wildly around for his weapons just in time to see a silhouette pass by and disappear into the smoke.

* * *

Some of the townsfolk looked out of their windows and began forming small crowds as they all were gazing up at something. Dante and the others stopped just outside the Survey Corps Precinct, wondering what could have attracted this much civilian attention.

"I wonder what could have happened to attract this much attention" Jean muttered out in slight annoyance, keeping a vigilant eye on Dante.

"I'll go see what it's all about, you four head inside I'll catch up in a bit." Dante turned around and walked towards a small open square where a crowd had formed. Most of the people gasping in what seemed to be awe or fear. Dante gently pushed past a chestnut haired girl and squinted as he looked up at the wall "Now what is it that can-" Dante's eyes widened as he looked up at the top of the wall and remained perfectly still. The other four came running behind Dante and looked up at the wall in dread. Connie looked at Dante and tilted his head, "Wait wasn't that where-"

"It is." Dante instantly broke into a run and jumped up, grabbing the handles of his gear and propelled himself through the air

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?" Eren yelled out, looking around wildly for the faintest movements. Levi and Eren rushed next to him and looked around, swords drawn out and looking around, trying to focus

"He was planning this!" Levi shouted out.

"Dammit, what do we do now?!" Eren called out.

Eren looked at his two comrades and gulped, forcing his panic down. _'This is insane! How the hell are we meant to stop him? Let alone work with him!_ _ **He's**_ _insane!"_

All of their heads swivelled to the left as they heard a string of sharp hissing from about 6 metres away.

Instantly Eren was already rushing to where the sound came from. _"Dammit, this has gone far enough!"_ Eren gritted his teeth as he disappeared into the smoke. Levi cursed and followed suit only to stop a few metres away. Suddenly, Eren yelled out and was sent sliding across the wall, blood on his cape. Mikasa's eyes widened as she rushed over to Eren and knelt by him to see if he was okay. Eren scrambled back in horror, staring as a muffled _**thud**_ could have been heard in front of him. Levi and Mikasa looked to where the noise came from and their eyes widened as they saw Ethan's mutilated corpse. His arms and legs were hacked off and his face was replaced by a massive gaping bloody hole. The only thing left intact was his lifeless jaw hanging wide open and his limbs scattered carelessly all around the body. Eren spied a gun in one of the severed arms and his blood turned cold _'Oh God, he didn't... he really is a killer!"_ Eren thought, panic surging through him.

Suddenly, something brushed by his arm and Eren instinctively turned around and raised his swords just in time to see a figure pull out a pair of pistols and aim it at him and his comrades.

* * *

Konrad broke free from the ropes and rolled to the side, looking around wildly. _'It's actually him. It's actually him…'_ he thought but tried to push it down as much as he could, shaking his head and growling. _'Have to focus on getting away! I got to get Ethan and escape! So much for stalling for time!'_ He thought in frustration as he began to sprint off. Suddenly, he heard swords swinging only a few metres away from him and then a dull **thud** nearby. Konrad's eyes widened as he quickened his pace but stopped as he saw Ethan's remains. Konrad's eyes fixed on the bloody stumps where his arms and legs should have been. There was nothing left off his face and Konrad look down to find himself stepping in his blood. _'Oh God, Oh God…'_ He thought as his expression turned to that of horror, _'I could have saved him, I could have-'_

Konrad heard something whistle through the air behind him and he whirled around, bringing his pistols up. They clanged out loud against metal and Konrad's eyes focused to see a pair of golden eyes looking up at him. _'You knew about this…'_ Konrad's shock turned into fury, _'You knew about what he really was and you tried to hide it. And you're helping him as well!?'_

Konrad grunted with effort as he batted Al's arms away. Al lunged forward and swung out. Konrad quickly ducked down, feeling something slice through the air centimetres above the back of his neck before he kicked out. His boot planted against Al's chest and sent his staggering and crashing back onto the floor, his blades skittering on the floor.

His leg brushed something and instantly, he ducked to the side and he glanced over his shoulder to see three people, one lying on the ground, raising his swords before the smoke enveloped them.

' _There you are…_ " he thought as he aimed one pistol at Al and the other at the three silhouettes. He straightened his arms and exhaled, his fingers tightening on the triggers _'Time to finish you off for good-'_

Konrad lurched forward slightly and froze to the spot. _'What...happened…?'_ He thought, his mind trying to process what had happened. Slowly, the pistol began to slip from his fingers and clatter onto the floor. He forced himself to look down as he saw a sword point piercing his chest from behind and he craned his neck to see Jay holding the sword.

Konrad's eyes widened as with a last ditch effort he reached to his belt, grabbed his knife and swung out in a wide arc. Jay tilted his head to the side, as if enjoying the sight and then reached for his other sword. Suddenly, Konrad cried out in pain as Jay stabbed him with his other sword. Konrad looked down, trembling as he saw the two swords now protruding through his chest.

"I'll take that from you…" Jay remarked slowly in a mocking tone as he opened Konrad's hand and pulled the knife from his grasp and tucked it into his coat before yanking the swords out from his body and kicking him forward.

"...I'm sorry...I couldn't live to protect you anymore…I'm sorry, Va-'He breathed out nearly inaudibly and miserably as collapsed onto the floor, the whole world turning grey and slowly blacking out into nothing.

The smoke cleared. All four of them stared at the ground at the gory sight of what used to be Ethan and Konrad, their blood pooling on the floor to form a crimson mirror. And they slowly looked up to see Jay, his swords, coat and mask splattered in blood...

* * *

 **AN**

Well, wasn't this an eventful chapter, right? :)

As I said before sorry about the late upload. There will be times where a chapter would be uploaded later than expected but as stated before, you can expect to find a new chapter at the end of the week or beginning of the next. But thanks for being so patient. We appreciate it.

Have a great day!


	5. The Consequences

**-Chapter 5 - The Consequences**

Jay turned around to face away from his comrades before lowering his head and pulling his mask off. He pulled his hood and up his bandana and turned to face the others, who were still looking at him and the bodies in front of him

Jay tilted his head to the side and gave them the faintest hint of a shrug, "...You were saying?..." he asked, his voice monotone

Al tore his eyes from the gory sight and lunged forward, pushing Jay roughly into a cannon, Jay stumbled back and regained his balance only for Al to rush forward, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the cannon.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!?" Al screamed out in Jay's face. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" Jay grimaced as he batted his arms away and pushed him roughly back, pointing at him with the hilt of his sword, "Back off, Al! Did you honestly think we had a choice to keep them alive!?"

Al was about to retort back until he heard a whirring sound behind him, his eyes widened as he recognised the sound and his head snapped to the side, _'Oh no! Oh God no!'_

"Hey! What the hell happened!?" Dante called out as he got onto the walls and looked at his comrades, "Is everything alr…" He faltered as his gaze focused on the two bodies on the floor. He took a half involuntary step back on lowered his head, his hands raised up, "Oh dear god. Oh dear God! What happened!?"

"Your friend did this!" Mikasa growled, pointing at Jay, "He killed them both! And we're meant to be working with you!"

Dante looked up to Jay, his expression that of pure horror. "What!? Jay!? What the hell!?"

Jay rolled his eyes and glared at Dante, "I think it should be pretty obvious why…"

"OF COURSE IT ISN'T!" Dante snapped, "For the love of- Jay, what did they say!? They had to have said something to make you do something like this!"

Jay opened his mouth but Levi had beaten him to it, "They mentioned something about the Mangler, could you elaborate on that?"

Dante's eyes widened and his blood ran cold as he heard the name and looked at Al, who fixed him with a horrified stare in return. "So you both know about this, hmm?" Levi retorted, a hostile edge that could clearly be heard in his voice.

A series of quick footsteps could be heard behind them and they all turned around to see the

Connie fell on his knees and began to retch. Sasha stepped back, her hands covering her mouth and she turned incredibly pale. Both Armin and Jean were staring at the bodies in horror, unable to utter a single word.

' _What? You haven't seen dead bodies before?'_ Jay thought in annoyance as he glanced at them. "Before you all ask, they were a threat and they were dealt with as efficiently as possible."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN EFFICIENTLY!?" Eren burst out, "YOU JUST KILLED THEM THERE! YOU JUST BLINDSIDED YOUR OWN COMRADES!"

"We've already established what I did, how about we focus on why I did that…" Jay growled, his patience wearing thin.

"Why, to hide your damn identity?" Levi cut in smoothly. "They knew what exactly you were and you killed them for it…"

Jay let out a scornful laugh and shook his head, as if the comment was almost humorous

"You really did kill them for that?" Armin gasped, "Wha- Did we even learn anything from them? Tell me we did!?" He looked from Mikasa to Eren to Dante and finally to Al. All of them had said nothing.

"What? Weren't you even paying attention to what had just happened?" Jay asked, a hostile tone in his voice as he pointed the swords towards the bodies on the floor

"What the actual hell!? We could have known what was going on!? But you decide to kill them for it!? We could have just interrogated them and left them alive! We could have-!" Jean blurted out but was interrupted by Jay.

"Are you all really **that** dense?" Jay snapped as he tilted his head, his expression that of complete disbelief and disgust, "Don't tell me you all are that deluded...They just told us exactly what we needed to hear. They knew everything about the Levi Squad." He pointed his sword towards Mikasa and Eren, and his voice began to rise in sheer anger "They knew all about whatever mess you both got into at the age of nine! They knew all about the Captain's past before he joined the Survey Corps! Both of which were all information that could have **only** been accessed by the military. The only way they could have got that is if they have people infiltrating ALL THREE BRANCHES TO ATTAIN THAT KIND OF INFORMATION!"

Everyone stayed silent.

"I don't know what the hell **you** carry out things like these before we were assigned together," Jay growled, "But here's the thing...They knew everything about us and the very **second** we let them walk, the enemy will know. And they'll save us for last. They'll kill our friends, our families, our comrades. They will slaughter innocent people, left, right and centre, to get to us. And by the time they do, there will be almost nothing left of humanity for the titans to annihilate…" Jay glared at each and every single one of them, his voice became low and filled with venom " I don't know how much each of you value the person next to you as a comrade. But I do know this… I _**saved everyone**_ here from whatever they had planned for us...And saving God knows how many lives for the sake of two is fine by me...So...Don't. You. Dare. Try and make me the villain here and don't you dare try and act so shocked when I'm the one actually doing what you can't do to deal with a threat as big as this…"

Everyone stared at Jay, a mix of fear, anticipation and disgust filling the air. "You're sick…" Sasha whimpered out

"...You just realised that now?" Jay asked, tilting his head and fixing her with an abysmal glare, causing her to shrink back in fear.

"Jay just shut up! You're only making things worse than they already are" Al shouted at Jay, the two of them staring at each other.

"'Worse than they are'!? Weren't you even listening to me!? Get your bloody head out of the clouds and get it into your thick skull that the situation has ALREADY HIT ROCK-BOTTOM EVER SINCE WE'RE WERE ASSIGNED THIS TASK!" Jay screamed out, "Now don't blame me for getting the job done and doing something that you couldn't bring yourself to do…"

"What!? Needlessly kill just to satisfy whatever sick bloodlust you have!?" Al yelled out, "This is exactly like what happened back then!"

"What happened back then was a fine example of your incompetence! And you should damn well realise that your honour isn't as valuable compared to the consequences if we kept them alive isn't it, is it?" Jay was suddenly interrupted as Al shoved Jay, causing him to stumble backwards. Jay instantly lunged forward and grabbed Al's coat by the lapels and pushed him into a nearby cannon.

Dante walked up to Levi, "I would seriously recommend leaving with your squad before _**those two**_ ," Dante jabbed a finger in Al and Jay's direction, "decide to settle it through other means. I think the Commander should be at the Survey Corp precinct, you should go there"

"Noted" Levi replied, turning back to face his squad, most of whom were still horrified by what they had just seen, "alright then we're all heading to the Survey Corp precinct. You can all get your shit together once we're there" Levi informed them, walking over to the elevator with his squad following suit.

Dante turned around and felt like smacking his head into a canon as he watched Jay and Al yelling at each other whilst the two were having a one way fight, clearly in Al's favour. Frustration and anger built up inside of Dante as he ran over to his comrades and kicked Al in the gut, making him release Jay and stumble back into a canon. Dante

"Well, What do you know….History does repeat itself...This just like when we first met…" Dante said, the three of them silent.

* * *

 _ **Eight years ago…**_

Al sat down silently and watched the person opposite him. Jay was sitting down straight upright, his hands on his lap and simply looked from him to Dante. Dante laid back next to Al, hands laced behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

"Well...this is boring…" Dante muttered aloud.

"Tell me Dante, what were you expecting? A huge party with drinks and music?" Al asked, staring down at the floor.

"Yeah, why not?" Dante answered back eagerly, grinning from ear to ear and oblivious to the sarcasm in Al's suggestion. "I can imagine it now, one massive ball with music and drinks and dancing and even more music and-"

"That's not going to happen because our families hate each other and will want to do anything to get at each other's throats" Jay said curtly as both of them stared at him in surprise.

"God, aren't you just a ray of sunshine," Dante muttered to himself.

Jay turned to him and fixed him with a blank stare, "...It's called being realistic...this is all just some kind of way to get our families to stop fighting..."

"...Wow...Never really thought of it that way…" Dante murmured under his breath.

"Are you like this because you are adopted," Al asked wearily.

"What do you mean by that?..." Jay's mood went sour.

"I mean that are you always this miserable because of the fact that you're...different?" Al asked, tilting his head in curiosity. "I mean, you don't know your real parents and su-"

"Oh, I hear what you're saying but I know what you're really asking... so let me answer you with a question….Do you want to take this outside?..." Jay half snarled half stated.

Al sat there not moving an inch, just staring at the boy opposite him. The mood had just turned from odd to hostile in a matter of seconds. Dante's eyes flicked from one another in shock and anticipation and a small smile beginning to appear on his face. Al clenched his jaw, stifling his rage at the person who had just threatened to try and fight him.

"So you actually have the guts to pick a fight in my own family estate. Why don't I remind you where your family stands as far as power is concerned. Or maybe where you stand in the social ladder...low class noble..."

"What you're reminding me now is how you're just a stuck-up snobbish rich kid and a bully and why don't I remind you that if you want to fight we can take this outside."

"Alright then out we go. Maybe it will teach you to think twice before picking a fight with your social superior." Al got up from his seat and walked out the room with Jay.

"Finally some action," Dante smirked as he rocked onto his feet and strode out, his hands tucked deep into his pockets, "I mean, I genuinely thought this would be boring but now, I'm actually-"

"Dante, just stop…." Al snapped, clearly annoyed.

" _Good…_ " Jay thought to himself as they all walked to the door leading to the gardens outside, 'I have enough stupidity to deal with...' Al pushed the doors open and stepped out onto the lawn, taking in a breath of fresh air and stretching his arms out, "Ok, now then…" he stated cheerfully before he rammed his elbow back into Jay's gut. Jay winced in pain as he doubled over in pain and let out an involuntary groan. Dante's eyes widened and his face lit up, impressed. " _Well that was extraordinarily easy_ ," Al thought and grinned as he went over and ruffled Jay's hair, "Yeah, Now I hope you know your place, shorty…" he remarked and he turned around and walked off. 'What a weakling...but he has guts-' before he could even think anymore, he felt something grab him and push him roughly forward. Al's eyes widened in shock as he staggered and fell face first onto the grass. Al felt his head being pulled up and felt a rain of punches rain down on the side of his head.

"DO THAT AGAIN! I DARE YOU!" Jay seethed out, each punch harder and faster than the last. Al gritted his teeth in pain and lashed his elbow out catching Jay in the ribs. Al felt the weight get off his shoulders and he rolled onto his side. He reached out, his fingers wrapping around Jay's collar and pulling him down onto the grass. Al pushed himself up and started to send a flurry of punches down onto Jay's head and chest.

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do now, huh? Got anything else to say? Hmm?" Al smirked as he punched down. Jay desperately covered his head with his arms and brought up his legs. Instinctively, he kicked out, hoping that his feet could strike out and put some distance between him and Al. His feet rammed against Al's stomach, forcing him to stagger and fall back. Jay scrambled onto his feet but Al kicked out, sweeping out Jay's legs from beneath him. Al rushed over to him and grabbed him by the lapels pushing him further down onto the grass.

Tired, Dante shook his head and raised his hands. "Alright, don't you think that's enough…" Dante remarked as he went up to the two and tried to pull them away only to be pushed aside roughly, "Hey! What are you doing?" He retorted angrily as he fell back and stared at them.

"Dante, stay out of this…" Al said, taking his eyes of Jay, who was on the floor.

"I said that was enough!" Dante snapped, getting up on his feet and pushing Al. Al grabbed him by the collar but both were tackled to the ground by Jay, sending them toppling and sprawling onto the floor with Dante squashed beneath them.

"GET OFF! GET OFF ME!" Dante wailed as he flailed his arms around to bat Al and Jay off. Al gritted his teeth as Jay had his arm around his neck and reached upwards to pull Jay's hair and punched Dante in the chest. Jay cringed as his arm tightened and kicked out, hitting Dante's leg

Suddenly, the three felt themselves getting pulled away from each other and all of them looked up to see a tall person tower over them. He had golden eyes and long black hair kept neatly parted and towered above them.

"Now would you three kindly explain what is going on?" The person asked coolly but with a slight stern edge to his voice.

Al's eyes widened as he pointed to Jay, "Markus! He wanted to pick a fight with me!"

Jay gritted his teeth in annoyance, " _Great...it's his brother_ " he thought as he saw Markus look to him, one eyebrow raised. "O-only because he was insulting me about me being adopted and saying he was better than everyone else!"

Markus looked back to Al and tilted his head. "Is this true?"

Al was taken aback and mumbled under his breath, his face turning red with embarrassment, "...Something like that...yeah…"

"You know you can't do that, Al, I told you this so many times before, you can't say things like that…" Markus remarked and then turned to Jay, "And you let your anger get the best of you and chose to use violence instead of talking it out, am I right?"

Jay lowered his head and grunted, "I guess so..."

Markus nodded and turned to Dante, "And...Do you have a dog in this fight?"

Dante blinked and shook his head, "Well..no..um..I just..."

"Thought it'd be fun to join in with two people beating each other up after watching?" Markus finished off his sentence, his eyebrows raised. Dante was about to say something but closed his mouth and bit his lip in shame.

"Markus...I'm sorry…" Al began but was stopped when Markus raised his hand and gestured to Jay and Dante, "Don't apologise to me...apologise to them…" Al was about to protest but decided against it as he looked towards the other two, "I'm...sorry…"

Markus nodded and then looked at Jay who simply shrugged, "Yeah...I'm sorry…"

Finally Markus turned to look at Dante who looked down at a stone by his feet and nudged it with his foot, "...I apologise…"

Finally, Markus began to relax and let out a sigh, "Now we got that out of the way...let's get you three cleaned up...Who knows what would happen if our parents find out…"

* * *

 _ **Back to the wall**_

"...Lieutenant Der Macht, sir…" said a shaky voice behind them. They all turned to see a scrawny messenger, struggling to tear his eyes away from the gory sight in front of him, "Uh...C-Commander Erwin wanted to talk to you about.." he nodded to the pool and blood and the corpse in front of him.

"Oh, that's just brilliant...I hope you're happy Jay!" Al snarled.

"I am...now let's see what he wants," He grunted as he shouldered past him.

Dante rubbed his temples and then turned to the messenger, "Get some soldiers here and clean up this mess alright…no one else speaks of it" he then walked off.

* * *

 **Survey Corps Precinct**

"Would any of you care to explain what happened on the wall?" Erwin said, getting up from his desk and walking towards the window.

The three of them remained silent until Al spoke.

"We gathered information from the SG soldiers like we were supposed to-" Al answered.

"Don't play smart with me, Alphonse," Erwin said, still not taking his eyes from the window, "I was talking about how the Garrison had to clear up two bodies, one of them almost unidentifiable and their entrails plastered on the floor!"

"Oh...that…" Al trailed off and stepped back.

"Very well, sir...It was Jay's idea," Dante chirped in but instantly shut up as both of his teammates fixed him with icy stares.

"Commander Erwin, I believe it was justified, sir. They were considered too much of a risk to be kept alive and therefore had to be dispatched as quickly and as efficiently as possible." Jay replied coolly. Both Al and Dante stared at him in disbelief. Even Erwin turned his head to fix his pale blues eyes on him.

"Jayden Talbot, when will you learn that you have no right to make a poorly thought decision like that!?" he stepped in front of him and stared at him. "I value your abilities with the gear and your loyalty very highly but we made it very clear that the lone wolf act stays behind and don't get me started with that little fiasco you stirred up when trying to retrieve the target...If you weren't as half as valuable, I would have you court-martialled with a single hand gesture"

Dante snorted in laughter but fell silent as their stares were fixed on him. "Something you'd like to add, _**Lieutenant**_?" Erwin scolded.

"No it's just... the emphasis on...a _**single hand**_ gesture because...you only have...one hand..."Dante faltered and bit his lip in shame as he saw their unchanged reactions.

"Well, Mr Blackwood, allow me make something very clear to you. I have very little tolerance for your incompetent wisecracks and annoying thoughtless jokes! You should consider yourself extremely lucky that you're on this team on the first place."

Al stood still and shook his head in tiny motions. He clench his jaw in annoyance at how he was pulled into his mess due to his teammates. Erwin spotted this instantly and strode in front of him, staring at him.

"As for you, Alphonse, I trusted you to stay level headed and take responsibility for the actions of the group. Don't think for a second that you're not to blame. What happens due to an action of one member will fall on all three of your heads so don't think your family or your father allows you to stay separate from this mess. I'm quite sure he'd be wanting to know what happened as well…" Erwin sat down and rubbed his eyes, "I should take the sensible option and disband this group immediately...consider yourself the luckiest group of men alive that I actually accounted for most of this and had. But this makes your job of getting along with Squad Levi easier said than done. So you three have a tough mission to do and you better hope that you don't fail...You're dismissed, I'll meet you again in a few weeks' time."

"But how will we know wher-" Al began to ask.

"I'll contact you once you've all reached the Winter Retreat. As I said, you're all dismissed." Erwin gave his last order as he looked down to the reports on his desk.

All three of them saluted their Commander before walking out of the office, the door slamming shut behind them. Levi stood leaning next to the door with his arms crossed and his narrow grey eyes observing the trio. "Seems like Erwin wasn't holding back at all with you three but judging by the way you look you've all had more than your fair share of rough treatment."

"We have Jay to thanks for that." Dante muttered quietly.  
"Oh just quit whining would you?" Jay spat back angrily.

"Tch why don't you all just shut up?" Levi said, standing upright and walking up to the door, "Oh and one thing I should mention," Levi began, "You three aren't allowed anywhere near my squad. Any of you. I shouldn't have to explain why that is." Levi opened the door and shut it behind him.

"Well congratulations people, we've just screwed up everything..." Al groaned as he leaned against the wall, chewing his lip.

"Hey! I admit it all went sideways alright," Dante assured them both, "But the good thing is that in theory...all of this goes on Jay's head."

"Oh, I swear, life would be so much easier if I just ripped your vocal cords out…" Jay growled, still staring at the space in front of him.

"Not on my damn watch alright! I've just been humiliated by both of your mindless crap!" Al retorted in annoyance, as he stormed in front of Jay.

"Hey! How about we avoid the fighting and the _**violence**_ and learn from the _**humiliation**_ by focusing on making amends to our next to nothing ties with the Captain's squad, alright?" Dante stepped in front of them.

"..Fair enough…" Al nodded his head and all of them stormed down the corridor, "But we're doing this properly, alright? I don't want Jay tearing their heads off or you making stupid jokes and not taking this seriously, alright?"

"Done," Both Dante and Jay said curtly in unison.

* * *

AN:

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, am I right? :)

Thanks so much for continuing to read the chapters made so far and letting us know you like them. It truly means a lot. This actually concludes the first arc of the story and there is plenty more to come in the future. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. This practically sets up how the GSC will interact with the Levi Squad as they try to make amends and work together.

Have a nice day!

Extra Info

This is something that's possibly going to include every few chapters or so just to give some physical backgrounds to the GSC. It'll become more and more detailed as the story progresses but for now here's some basic information.

Al

Height: 183cm

Weight: 81kg

Specialty: Hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting

Jay

Height: 183cm

Weight: 79kg

Specialty: Sword fighting and 3DMG

Dante

Height: 181cm

Weight: 74kg

Speciality: Gunplay


	6. The Winter Retreat

**Chapter 6 - The Winter Retreat**

The next day, they were all saddled up and rode north, towards the mountains.

Dante groaned as he fiddled constantly with his hat, "Come on, for goodness sake, we have to be nearby!" He called out for the tenth time in 2 minutes

Al sighed impatiently and gave him a backward glance, "For the 10th time. We'll be there, it's close, just half an hour more..."

Dante groaned out loud and his shoulders sagged in disappointment. Sasha's eyes darted from the two of them and then leaned in towards Connie and Jean "Er...guys…We're going to be ready if they ambush us, right?" Sasha asked a little too loudly. Al and Dante's head perked up and they slowly turned their heads to Sasha, blinking and their expressions unreadable. Sasha blinked and managed to show a wide, uncertain smile. Her eyes averted to Jay and her smile cracked as she saw his head looking in her direction and her head tilted at an angle, as if glaring at her with sick anticipation.

There was a long silence but for what felt like hours, they looked forward and kept on riding. Jean stayed quiet but after making sure they were out of earshot leaned in and whispered, "Yeah, right now I'm just concerned about _him_ ," he gestured to Jay who was saddled up about 15 m away from them, just staring ahead without moving an inch like a statue. His hood was pulled up and he had his mask on, "For all we know, he could kill any one of us if he wanted to and he's a bomb waiting to go off."

"Armin, what do you think?" Connie asked, as all of them turned their heads towards his direction.

Armin spurred up to them and sighed, "To be truly honest... I don't know, I really don't. Erwin wouldn't force us to join up with them if he didn't trust them? Shouldn't we at least give them a chance to prove themselves?"

"Yeah, let's throw our weapons down and let them rip us apart and dump our unrecognisable corpses somewhere no-one can find them?!" Sasha hissed.

"Before we lose our heads, think back, "Mikasa replied coldly, "when those two threatened him, he didn't care, when he threatened us, he lost it,"

"But we don't do things like that, threat or not… I mean, could any of us bring ourselves to do something like that?" Eren asked but was answered by a long period of silence.

"No, and I don't want to know alright," Jean grumbled.

"But still doesn't that scare you the least bit? We have a cold hearted killer and his two accomplices who now happen to be a part of our squad" Connie interrupted, "For all we know they could turn on us at any second and we'd be history."

"Valid point but still we have to stay open minded...," Armin looked up in front of him at Dante and Al, then back at Jay and turned back to others and looked away in deep thought, "From what we've seen them do in action, they could kill us here if they wanted to. I mean it's the perfect place. Perfect cover of the trees, no bystanders and once it's done they can just dump our bodies into the forest or place them up in the trees where nobody would think to look...and they've known each other for a while so it's only safe to assume that their teamwork should be impressive ...Even I'm wondering if any of us would be able to react in time if they do choose to kill us here and now, they know their surroundings, we don't…"

"That's my point exactly, and why we can't trust them. I don't have to remind you again of what just happened yesterday" Jean looked at Armin, "but if you trust Commander Erwin that much then I guess you must have your reason."

"Well it's not a whole lot but here it is," Armin cleared his throat, "over the past few months things have been quiet, too quiet. All we've been doing is sitting around just waiting till the preparations for the expedition are complete"

"Up until a few days ago when he informed us of a gathering of some First Interior Squad members in that church in Klorva district." Mikasa added.

"Precisely what I was getting at," Armin continued, "didn't it ever seems strange to you that suddenly out of the blue, Commander Erwin gave us intel with that level of detail."

"Then why didn't you say anything then, why now?" Sasha asked.

"I had to be sure of it. It was like trying to figure out the Female Titan's identity, I had to be sure that it was Annie before I told Erwin, the same applied to this." Armin replied, pondering over the theories he came up with.

"Did you figure out why?" Mikasa questioned.

"My most likely theory is that Erwin is actually desperate. He wants us, Squad Levi, the most known squad within the Survey Corp ranks, to merge with the Golden Spear Company, a group whom only Erwin knows about, but for what purpose is what I'm still trying to figure out", Armin thought out loud.

"But what would make Commander Erwin desperate enough to do that. He'd know the risks of doing that, especially the risk of us killing each other. Although somehow he believes that we'll cooperate with people who barely know" Eren wondered.

Mikasa carefully observed what Al and Dante were doing. They seemed to be talking about something when Dante nodded and rode ahead, leaving Al alone. Al took out an apple from his saddle and a file, opened it and began reading. Mikasa leaned to the side on her horse and saw a drawing of her. "Why the hell does he have a picture of me unless..., "she thought, "Wait, he has my file?". Mikasa spurred her horse forward, halted next to Al and grabbed at the report. Surprisingly to Mikasa, Al intercepted her hand right above the report, still eating the apple with the other hand.

"You almost startled me there," Al smirked, lifting Mikasa's hand up in front of her, "seems like I caught you red handed.", Al loosened his grasp and allowed Mikasa to slip her hand out of it.

"Why and how do you have my report?" Mikasa asked, staring at him.

"Oh, Commander Erwin entrusted this report to me along with the rest of your squad's. You all have such interesting backgrounds." Al replied, still looking down at the report and reading it, "Let's see, it says here that you were captured at the age of 9 but fought back, even managing to kill your assailants alongside Eren and you graduated at the top of the class with flying colours according to Instructor Shadis. No one else even came close to you. Impressive."

"Well you still haven't answered my other question. Why are you looking at it? Especially now" Mikasa inquired, anger beginning to boil inside of her.

"I'm reading yours specifically because in the likely situation currently that the GSC and Squad Levi don't get along and try to kill each other, again, you would be my primary concern." Al turned his head to face Mikasa, his smirk staying fixed on his face.

"Should I be taking that as a compliment and anyway, why me. I'm pretty sure the Captain would be your biggest concern" she remarked, clearly annoyed by Al's comment but even more so by his nature.

"Actually you should feel honoured. There are very few people whom I deem a viable threat, you being one of them. And Captain Levi, All Jay needs to do is buy us time...Simple as that..." Al stated simply..

"Aren't you arrogant? What makes you so sure that just the three of you can take on the eight of us" Mikasa asked him, thinking she had finally asked him something he couldn't answer."

"It's simple. If we were to take you on this instance, it would take me less than ten seconds to finish you off, at the same time Dante will take out Jean and Sasha, I'll go on to Connie and Armin there all the while Jay keeps Levi busy long enough till we go back and kill him. Of course by this time Eren would have transformed but he's weak anyway, killing him would be a piece of cak-", Al was cut off when Mikasa lashed out her hand but was intercepted again. Al looked at her arm then at her, his head tilted at an angle and a curious expression on his face. "What got you so mad all of a sudden?"

"Don't you ever talk about Eren like that ever again?" Mikasa said, her anger taking over and her voice a little more than a growl.

"Oh, so you're that protective of him. Makes sense I guess since you and Armin were there with him during the fall of Shinganshina" Al gave in, "I promise I won't talk about him like that again...okay?"

Mikasa pried her hand free and looked coldly at Al, "How can I rest assure?"

"If you knew me properly you'll know I'm a man of my word. Trust is an important aspect to me when it comes to deciding who's friend and foe...But... If it helps, I suppose I can lend you this..." Al took out another file from his saddle and held it out to her. Mikasa eyed the report suspiciously and Al nodded to it "...Go on, take it, the worst thing that can happen is that you end up getting a paper cut…"

"You think giving me your report will just make me trust you instantly?" Mikasa she asked, opening up the file and reading through it.

"Of course I don't, I'm smarter than that for your information-" Al took another bite from his apple and swallowed, "I just see it as a start...But you'll have to give that back soon"

Mikasa read through the report as fast as she could, trying to learn as much as she could about Al and find a weakness. For starters his full name of Alphonse "Al" Der Macht, son of Lord Der Macht, a prominent noble in the North. " _No wonder he's so arrogant,_ " she thought, " _having a father with that much power must have made him think he can get away with anything. Not to mention he's also a-_ ".

"And no, I'm not arrogant because of my father if you're wondering" Al sighed in annoyance and then bit into his apple.

"Who said I was?" Mikasa snapped back.

"Deny it all you want...you were looking at my family background page for quite a while and I figured you were trying to link it to my arrogance, I told you I'm smarter than that..." Al tossed the eaten apple away over his shoulder and into the bushes, "Besides your times up". Mikasa had no time to react as Al swiftly took the report back and placed it back into his saddle. Mikasa stared at him angrily.

"Oh, come on, there's no point making that face. I did warn you in advance that i'll be taking it back in a minute" Al looked back at her.

"Hey Al how much further!" Dante called out to Al.

"Oh for crying out...You should be seeing it any minu-" Al began.

"Never mind I see it!" Dante called out again.

"What's he talking about?" Mikasa asked.

"The place where we've riding to for the past two hours. I call it our home away from home". Al answered back, looking out in front of him as they made their way into a large clearing and found themselves approaching a large manor.

Mikasa looked forward as well and gazed at it, "It's quite big. What do you even use it for anyway?"

"It's more or less the main headquarters of the GSC. We come back here after each mission to report back to Commander Erwin and get ready for the next one," Al looked back at the others, "you should go and tell everyone that we've made it if they haven't seen the manor yet."

Mikasa grunted and turned her horse round and rode back to where Armin and the others were.

"So I see someone was getting all friendly with the enemy." Connie smirked.

Mikasa ignored Connie, "We've made it in case you didn't know".

"Wait, you mean we're staying in that mansion over there" Jean asked, surprised.

"The place looks huge!" Sasha stared, her eyes wide in amazement.

"Jeez I didn't know Al could afford something like that" Connie said, looking ahead of him at the manor.

"He's a noble." Mikasa informed them. "It said so on his report…Son of some Lord who owns quite a lot of businesses and land."

"Well that explains that. The guy must have everything he could ever want with all that money" Jean looked at Al, who was talking to Dante and Jay.

"Well not necessarily. After the uprising heavy taxes were imposed onto all noble families no matter what their position was, even heavier ones for those who didn't side with the new government. We'll have to assume that Al's family didn't go with the latter and instead followed the Corps" Armin stated.

"Well there's only one way to find out then, isn't there…" Levi noted finally and he gave them all a dull stare, his voice low and hostile "...And if things get from bad to worse… don't even hesitate to kill…"

* * *

"Hey! Hey, wait a minute," Dante shook his head, "Did you just say Erwin gave you the reports to practically every single person here!?"

Al nodded as he glanced at Dante and Jay, "Yes, I did. He intrusted them to me before we left and asked me to show the others when we get to the Winter Retreat…"

Jay snorted, "It only makes sense if he hands it to you, I guess… but why would he give **us** the reports and not them?"

Dante shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head, "I don't know. Maybe he's still wants to keep the whole GSC thing as secretive as possible?"

Al sighed out and rubbed his eyes, _'They're right… Just what the hell is the Commander planning?'_ "Look, all we need to know is that Erwin wants us to join forces and the only way we can do that is to gain their trust, that's why-" He paused slightly before shaking his head, "That's why I showed them the reports…"

Dante's eyes widened and his jaw dropped momentarily as Jay tilted his head to the side. He looked around at Squad Levi. Luckily, they weren't paying attention and he turned to glare at Al, "What do you mean you showed them!?" he asked in a hushed yet deadly serious voice, "You showed all of them!? All of our reports!?"

"No!" Al retorted back, "...Just mine, and not to all of them...Just **her**..."

"Her?" Jay tilted his head to the side.

"Mikasa, the girl with the red scarf…" Al nodded.

Jay let out a low sigh while Dante rolled his eyes and folded his arms, "Of bloody course...Of bloody damn course…" He muttered to himself, catching Al's attention.

"What are you on about?" Al asked, his face with confusion and annoyance. Jay glanced at Al, clearly knowing what Dante met but chose not to say anything.

"Let's face it. Your judgement is a little misplaced when a gorgeous girl is involved," Dante stated firmly. Al began to protest but Dante interrupted him, "No, no! Let's face it, it's the truth! It may have been alright with you flirting with god knows how many before but now is different! Commander Erwin said to trust and work with them, not **flirt** with them!"

"Oh, that's rich…" Al snorted, "Don't get me started on-"

"Enough! Al told us this, so we should trust him on this one," Jay cut in smoothly before turning to look at the others, "The question is what we do with **them**?"

"If you're honestly thinking of using violence like before, then forget about it **completely**!" Al stated, "Look, so far...just let us handle it. They shouldn't have a problem with me or Dante…"

"You can be my guest…" Dante admitted as he pulled the rim of his hat over his eyes, "I'd probably say something as a joke and we'd end up as a bloodbath on our hands…"

"Fine then. So both of you follow my lead and don't do anything brash...Understood?"

Al looked back at the others and shouted out to them, "Hey guys follow my lead!".

Everyone looked from where Al's voice came from and then back to Levi. Levi nodded curtly and looked at Al who spurred his horse forward and began galloping away with everyone else behind him, leading the way to the manor stables. Everyone else kept on looking at the manor with amazement, even Levi was surprised by the size and look of it. Al slowed down his horse and led everyone to the back of the manor, where the stables were situated, and stopped. He got off his horse and walked it over to the stable door, took a key out from his pocket and opened the door. "Just leave your horse in any pen and take the saddle off" he told everyone, walking with his horse into the stables.

Once everyone had dismounted and placed their horse in a pen, they all gathered in front of Al, Dante and Jay standing beside him.

"Okay look I know we all started off on the wrong foot but I believe that we work out our differences-" he began.

"Easy for you to say," Sasha muttered but was silenced as Jay looked at her, his head tilted to the side and staring at her through the blood red visor of his mask. He growled and took a half step forward, causing Sasha to flinch slightly and everyone to tense up anxiously.

"Jay, easy…" Al ordered as he glared at Jay with clear warning. Jar returned a long stare through the visor before mumbling something beneath his breath before stepping back, "I'll just cut to the chase." Al continued "Rule one: My manor, my rules. Rule 2: No one kills each other while we all here. Rule 3: Have as much fun as you want so long as you don't break anything. Any questions?"

"Yeah, what happens when you guys slit our throats when we sleep? Or rip us apart and dump our bodies where no-one can find them!?" Connie asked, eying all three of them suspiciously.

"Ohhh, that stunt on the walls was a really intelligent idea…" Dante leaned in and remarked snidely as he whispered to Jay. Jay turned his head to him for a moment and then looked to the others standing before them, his fists clenched behind his back.

"If it helps all your bedrooms will be locked and you'll have your own keys. I don't have a master key. As for your second question, no one is ripping each other apart. That I promise!" Al answered back at Connie.

"Who said anything about you?" Connie turned his head to Jay, "it's him that's gonna rip us apart just like he did to those guys ba-"

"Quit whining!" Jay snarled "Whatever happened on the walls, it was necessary. It was messy, but it had to be done!" When everyone stared at him, he slowly sighed out and rolled his eyes, his voice a little lower this time "When we're done showing you around, I can hand over my gear to you… It's the least I can do..."

"How do we know you don't have a spare set, huh!?" Jean blurted out, "hell for all we know you could have a whole room full of these in this huge manor".

"I was planning on showing you all around the place so you can see for yourself that I hold no secrets. I value trust most dearly, for us to work together we need trust, the building block of any kind of relationship between people. That is why I want to gain your trust as soon as possible," Al paced around in front of them, "As you all know and have most likely figured out is that Commander Erwin wants Squad Levi and The Golden Spear Company to combine forces for reasons that are unknown as of yet. Now this is the Commander who we're talking about and you should know that he doesn't act without reason, so bearing this in mind, it is likely this a part of one of his elaborate plans that will benefit mankind greatly. And in order for that to happen, we need to work together as a team...So we don't fight you and you don't fight us… Are we clear?"

Everyone glanced at each other before looking at the three people before them. Dante was fiddling with his gun handles, clearly uninterested while Jay's head was tilted slightly as his eyes scanned all of them, standing up straight and his hands clasped behind his back and not moving an inch.

' _Well...what do we have to lose then?'_ They thought as they all hesitantly nodded. Al nodded, his shoulders visibly relaxing and a mysterious smile appeared on his face.

"Alright then…Welcome to the Winter Retreat…"

* * *

AN:

Hey there! :)

After all of the crazy action that had happened in the previous chapters, the following chapters will be more on character and relationship development and how both the GSC and Levi Squad respond and interact with one another with the past events and future decisions ahead.

With that said, we hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have a nice day!


	7. Black Ink

AN:

Just if I haven't mentioned before the second arc has begun with last week's chapter making this the second chapter of the arc. This arc is going to longer than the last but it's definitely got a mix of slow paced development with some great fights (with a fun surprise thrown in there).

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Black Ink**

"This is so cool!"

Connie rushed over, jumped and flopped onto the four poster bed in the middle of his room against the wall, "Man, I'd be the luckiest guy alive to have a place like this all to myself!"

Sasha grinned as she poked her head in from the hallway, "I know! This place is so big! It's incredible! Just think about the pantry!"

"Of course that's the only thing you'd ever think about potato girl…" Jean muttered beneath his breath but Sasha's ears perked up when she heard Jean's comment and she gave him a look of pure fury and began to protest.

As they were bickering, Levi sidled up to Al and asked, looking around, "You know the last time we were in a place like this we made sure everyone living there could never walk again…"

" _And you complain about us being hostile..._ " Al thought to himself, rolling his eyes in slight annoyance.

"So remind me how did you get all of this to yourself?" Levi went on.

Al just shrugged in reply and grinned, "Just some of the perks of being a noble I guess…"

"Are you kidding?" Dante butted in, shaking his head, "You're the only one who got an entire bloody mansion to yourself. Jay and I just have to make do without one, am I right, Jay...Jay?..."

They all looked around and they all turned to see Jay began to walk off, his hands tucked deep in his pockets, his head lowered and not looking back. Al muttered something beneath his breath and called out, "Jay? Where the hell you think you're going!?"

"I need to go downstairs… I'll see you when I'll see you…" He called out before turning the corner.

"Jay!...Jay! Wait, j-" Dante yelled out after him but gave up as it was clear that he wasn't coming back, "...Fine, be like that...moron…" he muttered beneath his breath. Al shook his head and rubbed his eyes, "...Alright...everyone, meet us at the drawing room we need to show you something…"

* * *

"Any luck with Jay?" Al asked hopefully as he turned his head to Dante as they made their way to the drawing room.

Dante shook his head and groaned, "He's like a ghost, one minute he's there, the next. Nothing!"

' _Why aren't I goddamn surprised…'_ Al thought bitterly as he and Dante walked into the drawing room where Levi's squad was.

"What took you so long? Planning on how to get rid of us?" Connie called out

"Where's everyone else?" Al asked avoiding his comment

"What? You disappointed you can't kill all of us as easily?" Sasha asked nervously.

Al laughed, "On the contrary, I wanted to give you this," he said as he tossed three files on the table. Levi stopped them from sliding off the table and looked up, his eyebrows raised. "These are all of the reports on the Golden Spear Company. Yes there are only three of us and as I said before I believe that we need to trust each other...so go and take your time,"

As everyone began to examine the reports, Al turned to Dante and whispered, "Where the hell is Jay!?"

Dante shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know. We might as well accept it, Jay just doesn't to cooperate…"

Al cursed under his breath and clenched his jaw in frustration. ' _I don't even know what's going to happen the next time I see him…'_ He thought, annoyance beginning to boil up.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Connie asked, staring down at one of the reports, Sasha and Jean staring over his shoulder. Al's head perked up as he turned to face them, his face written in confusion but still having his calm demeanour, "You think handing over our reports as a sign of goodwill is a joke? Then you must have a strange sense of humour…"

Jean stood up, "Really, you want us to trust you and you give us a report like this?" he asked as he tossed a file to him. , Al caught it and flicked it open, his face dropped as he scanned through it. It was Jay's report, the one with so much black ink. _'Of course...'_ Al thought to himself, his eyes darting around the report, _'Even the picture had been scribbled over and torn out...'_

"...Just what the hell is up with him?..." Sasha asked suspiciously

"And why isn't he here to greet us...is he hiding something or what?" Connie sneered.

Dante sighed and shook his head, "Jay was...adopted by a family called the Talbots...let's just say some of the stuff he did would even make some officials feel a little… squeamish"

All of their faces fell as they heard what he had said. "Well… I guess that does explain why he isn't very...talkative..."

Just at that moment, Jay glided in like a ghost, causing the room to become silent. He looked around and he focused on the reports on the table, "Let me guess...black ink?"

"You think?" Connie snorted

"Fine...if it makes you feel better, you can ask me some questions...and I'll see if I can answer them…" Jay sighed, shaking his head and leaning against the doorway.

"Alright" Sasha paused hesitantly, "Name of the orphanage?"

"Classified..."

"Who trained you?"

"Classified..."

"When did you join the GSC?"

"Classified and this is already starting to get ridiculous, goodbye" Jay said aloud as he turned to the door.

"Real family name…" Levi finally spoke, causing Jay to stop in his tracks, "Unless you're that thick and you don't actually know..."

"...You can think whatever you want… But since you all are so obsessed with trust, then trust me on this. It's something I don't plan on sharing..." Jay stated as he slammed the door behind him.

' _Oh, thanks a lot Jay, you've been a_ _ **great**_ _help…'_ Al thought frustratedly and turned to the others, "...Sorry about him...He'll get around eventually, I guess…"

"In a million years maybe…" Jean grumbled under his breath but Dante snorted in reply, "You're probably right you know…"

"Well...thank you for being honest with us at least," Mikasa said looking up at Al

He nodded and walked off, "You can keep the reports, and I know them by heart."

"What happened to him exactly?" Eren asked, gaining everyone's attention, "I mean we know he was adopted but...why?"

"I think you should ask him that yourself. He's in the workshop down in the basement messing with his gear. I guess I can convince him to open up." Al stated.

Connie and Sasha sat up and shook their heads, "Thanks but I'm sitting that one out…" Connie said.

"And be anywhere near that psycho, no way!" Sasha whimpered.

Levi shrugged and got up, giving them all a dull stare, "Suit yourself...Where would the brat be then?"

* * *

Jay briskly walked into the basement as he shrugged off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair. He pulled at the strap around from the back of his head and pulled off the mask, sharply inhaling as he did so.

' _Idiots…'_ Jay muttered to himself as he tossed the mask on the workbench and sank into his chair. He carefully placed his gear onto the table and pulled out a drawer, stacked with neatly aligned tools. He picked up one, opened his gear and began to get to work. He only had worked for less than a minute when he heard a series of footsteps coming from the staircase. _'What do they want now?'_ He thought frustratedly as he tried to carry on working but gave up

Eren, Levi, Al and Mikasa stepped down into the basement, looking around.

"Hey! Jay, they want to talk to you." Al called out. Jay sighed as he pushed himself onto his feet and looked up, "What is it?" he asked his voice as low and uninterested as ever. Levi remained unfazed while Eren and Mikasa blinked in surprise as they saw a young man with shaggy long black hair and big, brown intelligent eyes, almost black. He had a triangular chin and high cheekbones. He looked more like an academic than a soldier but clearly, looks are deceiving "...You expecting something else?" Jay remarked before sighing out "So what do you want to know?…"

"Your report...so much black ink, too much black ink in fact" Eren noted.

"You've noticed...and hopefully it stays that way..." Jay said dismissively

"Jay…" Al said sternly, looking at him. Jay look back at him and shook his head.

Jay sighed, "OK, fine... when I was a baby, I was sent to an orphanage since my parents were hunted down by a group of extremists who had a problem with us. They thought this was the only way to protect me. After 8 years, I was adopted into the Talbot family and seven years later, I decided to join the military."

"And what about the whole Mangler thing, hmm?" Mikasa stated calmly, fixing him with a dull stare.

Jay gave Al a questioning glare but Al just shook his head and looked away, "...Fine…" Jay muttered impatiently. "Two years ago, I found out who actually tried to kill my parents. Like I said, it was a huge group of extremist criminals who had some kind of grudge against them... So, I decided to return the favour until I finally get some answers. But just to clarify, I only kill those who deserve it. I **don't** kill civilians."

"That explains a lot then… From what we can gather, you might have been ranked first but you have a history of violence. Let me guess, you maimed your fellow cadets because what, they annoyed you?" Levi remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that why you lost it on the walls?"

"I decided to teach them a lesson because they lost sight of what humanity were up against. They'd rather squabble among themselves than realise what they had gotten themselves into. What had happened on the Walls was nothing different. I protected the rest of the squad and I'm alright with that. Now we protect Yeager here and if I have to, I won't hesitate to do the same thing... "

Eren chuckled humourlessly, "Like I need another person to keep me safe…"

"I beg your pardon…" Jay glared at him, sounding more like a statement than a question.

"Think about it. You're some traumatised individual with some fixation on being a vigilante to hide the fact that he's just some blood-thirsty killer. So, I don't need protection, especially from you…"

Jay bristled in anger, "From what we've all seen... You do, very, very much…"

Eren dropped his smile and stepped forward, "I already have her to be too overprotective of me, I don't need another one, especially that of a mindless, violent thug!"

"It is not your decision to make and it will never will be," Jay stared down at him, "In fact, you need the protection more than ever now but you're too stubborn and ignorant to realise it! That's what get you and everyone else hurt or worse, so swallow your damn pride, get some sense into that thick head of yours... and learn your goddamn place"

Mikasa stepped forward to hold back Eren just as when Al rush forward in front of them.

"OK! OK! How about you guys go upstairs and Dante will show you your rooms, alright?" Al said quickly, trying to diffuse the heat between both of them.

After a long silence both Eren and Jay nodded and stormed out. Levi shook his head, "Tch, now we have two insufferable brats to deal with..." he shook his head and walked out.

Al shook his head and looked at both of them, "Look...I apologize for Jay. He's like a brother to me but he can be a little...uh... **severe** …"

' _A little severe!?'_ Mikasa thought to herself but decided against it. "It's fine," Mikasa shook her head, "Eren can be a bit like that as well and that's what can get him into trouble...but to be blunt, I don't trust him...Can we really rely on him?"

"If there was less black ink then you'll know he's capable of much more" Al looked around, "Besides no one knows we're here anyway, I made sure of that in advance".

"That's not what I meant" she stated coldly.

"Sounds like you take security quite seriously" Levi commented.

"Power comes at a cost" Al turned back around to face everyone, "Anyway feel free to make yourselves at home and use these facilities as much you want, something tells me it's going to be an interesting week" Al made his way to the door but stopped midway, "Oh and who out of you can actually cook?"

"I heard potato girl here can cook all sorts of things" Jean remarked, "Although she's way better at eating…"

Sasha turned livid and began to snap angrily at Jean, followed by Connie. Al looked at them and then shook his head in exasperation, "Ah well...forget I asked, I'll just check with Dante… Anyway, as said before, make yourselves at home. Dinner should be ready soon so get ready to come down..."

With that, he left the room without a backward glance. Everyone else waited till they were sure he was out of earshot.

"Tell us honestly Captain. Do you really trust them?" Jean asked, keeping his voice fairly low.

"Honestly I haven't decided yet. Erwin doesn't act without a plan and I trust him so therefore I should trust them but…" Levi thought for a moment, "There is Jay to consider. Al seems like a good kid who seems to keep his shit in check, the same goes for Dante as well. Jay is what complicates things. He has no control over his temper and I won't be surprised if that stunt yesterday wasn't his only one".

"So is that a no or a yes, captain?" Connie asked, confused.

"As far as Al and Dante are concerned, yes. Jay on the other hand… I'm still deciding" Levi answered back.

"Why should you trust Jay anyway he's a-" Sasha began but stopped instantly when the sound of footsteps came closer and closer.

"Hey guys you should come back upstairs dinner's ready" Eren announced, walking back up the stairs.

"That was quite fast," Armin muttered, "Al only just left a few minutes ago."

"Well what are all of you waiting for," Levi looked at everyone, "let's go and eat."

* * *

AN:

Leaving a review would be really appreciated.

As said earlier, these chapters will be a little more slow paced compared to the first few chapters but will show how the two squads get along and how tension will begin to rise between them.

Remember to follow and share and any advice on how to improve is more than welcome.

Have a great day!


	8. Behind the Curtains

_AN:_

 _The last chapter was quite short so I've tried to make it up with this one which is twice as long but twice as fun._

 _DISCLAIMER: I do not own Attack on Titan_

 _Also any reviews are helpful. Even if it's just a short 'I enjoyed it', every little helps._

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – Behind the Curtains**

"What? You guys not hungry?" Dante asked as he looked at the others, who hadn't touched their food.

"It's not that…" Connie answered glancing at Dante. Dante blinked and then sighed as he dropped his cutlery and sighed as he leaned back and covered his face with his hands, "Oh my goodness, this is actually getting stupid… I didn't do anything to it. I didn't poison it or anything like that for crying out loud."

"I don't even think we have any poison…" Al quietly muttered to himself.

"That is an unspeakable crime by my standards," Dante continued ranting on. "Besides, the only risk is that...I don't know...that you'd choke on a seed or whatever!"

"Well…" Sasha admitted, "He does have a point…"

Al let out a small chuckle, "Yeah, he's right. He's telling you the whole seed thing from first-hand experience…"

Sasha, Connie and Jean couldn't help but smirk. "You choked on a seed? How?" Jean snorted as the other two tried to stifle their grins.

"No! I absolutely didn-" Dante whirled around, staring at Al, betrayal written all over his face. "What the hell, Al!? You didn't have to tell them that! That was only one time with the strawberries!"

Al only gave him a shrug and raised his hands, "It pays to be honest to our guests…" He grinned at Dante who turned bright pink with embarrassment.

"What they didn't tell you how to deal with food in training?" Connie asked, his face red from keeping in the laughter.

"Oh, Dante just missed that day of training. And he'll regret it for the rest of his life…" Al was grinning now. Dante fixed Al with a murderous gaze.

"I think it's time we talked about him," Levi said aloud, clearly unimpressed and causing everyone to fall silent.

"...Yeah...I think we should…" Dante said in a serious tone but then broke into a wide smile, "What happens when he sneezes with his mask on?"

The room had burst into laughter, "What do you mean? What does happen when he sneezes inside his mask anyway?" Connie asked smiling.

"Truth is I really don't know" Dante smiled, "But I do know for certain that that mask is clamped over his face so it's definitely not pretty. I mean, it had to have happened once. And it does explain why Jay is in a grumpy mood almost all of the time."

"Do you really joke about him when he's around though?" Connie asked nervously.

"Yeah, of course!" Dante smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "I mean, he does get annoyed but at least he understands that I'm only messing around…"

' _Why do I doubt that very highly?'_ All of Squad Levi glanced at one another.

"Hey, speaking of which, where's Jay?" Armin asked.

Dante looked around and it hit him, "Oh, for the love of...Jay's still in the bloody basement, I'll go get him" he stormed off.

"Jay come on! I get the whole lone wolf crap but this is getting ridiculous!" Dante yelled out as he left the room.

"Er...may I be excused as well," Jean asked, standing up.

"Me too," Sasha said quickly.

"And me," Connie chirped in.

"No you three stay" Levi ordered them calmly but with authority.

"It's fine," Al looked at them, "you can all go and do whatever the hell you want so long as you don't tamper or damage anything".

Sasha, Jean and Connie left the dining room, leaving only Al, Mikasa, Eren, Armin and Levi.

"So you want explain to us what exactly The Golden Spear Company is? Levi asked calmly to Al.

"It's actually pretty straightforward," Al sipped some wine, "The Golden Spear Company is made of Jay, Dante and I and we act as a covert group that only select members of top brass know about our existence as a group, well really only Erwin and my father".

"I understand your role but how exactly were you formed without top brass from knowing" Levi kept on asking.

"Erwin wanted a small company of soldiers who would go out on expeditions and do what the main corps do. Of course top brass would initially reject the idea since they'd deem it a waste of time, resources and officers so Erwin took the risk and formed us anyway. Simple as really."

"So what exactly do you even do then?"

Al sighed as he leaned back in his chair, "Along with expeditions, the Commander assembled us as his own personal squad. After the Survey Corps took over, not everyone was happy, not that you guys didn't know. It's especially worse in the North and you can say that they're a little... _drastic_...with their choice of showing how much they hate the new government… But since the Military Police aren't worth crap, the Garrison are too busy keeping the walls in check, well mainly the South and Survey Corps spend most of their time beyond the walls or stirring up a revolution every now and then...whichever one they feel like…and finally that leaves us…"

Eren shrugged, "So what? If there's a potential threat, you guys find out and fix it?"

Al chuckled before answering, "Hmm...If that's the way you put it then, be my guest…although it does depend on your definition of 'potential threat'..."

"Ok suppose there's a squad who hunt down members of the Survey Corps? What would you do with them?" Eren asked.

"Well if you suggesting that this squad is like the First Interior Squad, all members of which are dead, then all it would take is more some intel to be gathered on their whereabouts, routines, target patterns that sort of thing and then we find them...and make sure we leave nothing left…"

"But that would go on to suggest that there's another squad out there then…" Levi pieced together, "The two men on the wall, the whole secrecy thing… And Erwin wants us to be involved…"

Al nodded, "Exactly… And who knows why…"

* * *

Armin walked down the corridor and saw Connie hunched over the door leading to Jay's room with Sasha and Jean looking out.

"Hey, w-what are you doing?" Armin called out.

"SHH!" Connie hissed, "We need to find out more about _**him**_!" he gestured towards the door.

"We already have his report and Al told us everything! What more could you want!?"

"The chances of him killing us all in our sleep. You heard Levi. Maybe, we can trust Dante and Al but Jay is like wildfire. Besides, we have a problem…ou-" Jean said and looked back, "Cool, Connie managed to pick the lock!"

"Look, I really don't know about...Oh my god…" Sasha breathed out.

They looked across the large room filled with cluttered up papers on the desk. On the wall opposite them were numerous maps, records, drawings pinned up on the wall, red ink splattered all over the layers and layers of pages and red string like an intricate spider web. On the other wall, was a large outline of the human body, various parts all highlighted in bright red. On his numerous shelves mounted on the wall was his mask sitting on a small stand as well as a bunch of other objects all neatly aligned including a ring, a bandana and metal brooch of a sword.

"Quite the hoarder isn't he?" Connie said, as he strode over to inspect of stuff on his shelves. "Why would he need stuff like this?" He picked up the objects and examined each of them. "Jewellery...clothing… what the hell?" He looked at the mask and grimaced as she took a step back. _'No matter where I move, it looks like it's staring at me…'_ He thought as he saw his reflection in the crimson visor.

Jean let out a humourless chuckle as he carefully strode up to the papers pinned to the wall. His eyes scanned the red ink scrawled all over the pages and even on the walls as he peeled some sheets of the wall and studied them carefully.

"Founded 40 years ago… wooden beams...vantage point?" Jean read aloud, "Roman Caznor… 35… born in Stohess...moved out 11 years ago… Adam Becker...42...born in Utopia..." he continued then chucked the sheets onto the floor, shaking his head. "What the hell was he doing? Why would someone like him be obsessed with old buildings? People? Dates? Hell, to even this much detail? He's practically made an archive of God knows how much from top to bottom… Armin, you have any idea what this could be?" He was answered with silence. Jean's face creased in confusion as he turned to Armin who was studying another wall with the drawing. "...Armin?"

Armin shook his head slightly, his eyes squinted as he looked at the detailed drawings. Jean placed a hand on his shoulder and he flinched slightly. He looked back at Jean, confusion etched all over his face. "I've seen this before…" He stated slowly. Jean blinked and Armin continued, "...Look, I can't remember exactly...But I've **definitely** seen this before…"

"Er guys…" Sasha spoke out, her voice small.

"It's years ago but trust me… It's familiar…" Armin bit his lip, trying hard to think, "I mean, we all have to have seen it…"

"...Guys…" Sasha repeated, her eyes wide, her voice slightly louder.

"It's has to be something important to him...Think about it, that's practically the first thing he sees before he goes to sleep!"

"Guys!" Sasha finally exclaimed, getting everyone's attention.

"What!?" Jean snapped in annoyance.

Sasha stared at an object perched high up on the shelf in disbelief, "...What… What is that?"

Everyone turned to where Sasha was looking. Jean sighed and rolled his eyes, "What? You haven't seen a knife before, potato girl?"

Sasha gave a Jean a murderous glare then turned back to the knife, "Yeah, of course I have...It's just that why would he have those over there, I mean, there's a whole **armoury** beneath us…"

Connie's eyes widened as he saw something glint on the cartridges. Carefully, he plucked them out and examined them. "Er...guys...there's...there's blood on this." Armin leaned past his shoulder to look and stopped dead in his tracks. He recognised those all too well... "Those...those look like...the knife and cartridge Jay got… from those two men...on the wall..."

Connie looked around and stared at Armin, "There's no way. That would mean…"

Connie's face slowly dropped as it hit him like a cannon ball. He felt an ice cold chill up his spine and his blood run cold as he looked at his comrades. Armin's face went deathly pale and he slowly nodded.

"What do you mean? They can't be..." Jean's eyes widened in realisation as he looked from Sasha, to the items and then back to Armin and Connie, "Oh...no way...those are…"

All of them froze. They slowly turned towards the items on the desk and stepped into the middle of the room, "You mean...they're...trophies...of all the people he's…"

"...And we're surrounded by them..." Jean said, too horrified to even blink. Their eyes slowly scanned the shelves, numerous objects all neatly arranged and dusted, all glinting out at them from the dark.

Armin face creased in thought but dropped as he turned to the drawing, pointing at it. "I remember that…" he said, "...from training...all those are the weak points in the human body…"

"And the one thing he chose to pay attention to most of all is that…" Connie shook his head slowly in disbelief.

"Oh God, Oh God!" Sasha whimpered out as she began to rush to the door, "We gotta leave now!-"

Jean's hand snapped on Sasha's wrist and pulled her back, "No, wait. We haven't found what we've been looking for!"

Sasha turned to him and stared at him, her eyes wide and filled with fright, "Don't you see, the second he comes back and finds us here, he'll KILL us!" She averted her gaze as horrible images filled her mind and her voice was trembling uncontrollably, "...He'll turn us into trophies and no one would even know…"

Connie looked fearfully from Sasha to Jean, "What if she's right? Maybe it's not worth the risk! Maybe-"

"Listen!" Jean snapped. "This is why we need to move quickly. There's no way we can just leave now! We need a plan. Armin, stay on lookout, tell us if you hear **anything** , the three of us need to find out where our things are. Now quickly!"

Sasha and Connie nodded and opened all of the cupboards and flipped over the mattress, as if to scour the room in search of something. "What are you doing!?" Armin hissed out as he stared at his comrades trashing the entire room. "You can't even be in here, let alone do this…"

"Listen alright!" Connie turned and walked straight up to him, "We have a major problem on our hands! We can't talk about it now but we have to keep quiet. Who knows when that psychopath will come back-"

 _ **CREAK!**_

All eyes turned to the door where the noise came from. Whatever it was came from outside. Jean and Armin raised a hand slowly to the others and shook their heads slightly. Connie gulped, trembling on the spot he stood on, his eyes frantically looking around the room. Sasha whimpered out slightly as she took a step back, her shoulder hitting something.

 _ **CLANG!**_

She turned around wildly to see what she had knocked down. Lying on the floor was the stand with Jay's black coat, now sprawled on the floor. All eyes turned to her, a mixture of fright and shock on their faces as she staggered back. They all looked down to see a glint of silver from his coat. Sasha squinted at them but staggered back in sheer terror. There were an array of thin silver blades all wiped clean and stashed neatly in the coat. Sasha stumbled back, her back hitting the desk. She saw something teeter on the edge and fall. Her hand lashed out and caught it. She raised it and looked at it closely, only to realise that it was a framed photo of a drawing created by what seemed like a seven year old. She squinted as she saw something move in the reflection of the glass.

' _What the hell?'_ She thought as she looked up. Instantly her eyes widened and she screamed as she fell back and shuffled away. Everyone turned around and staggered back in shock. Jay was suspended upside down from the ceiling with his gear, staring at each of them.

"W-What!? H-How!? Wha-!" Connie stammered, completely shocked.

Jay spun around and landed softly on the floor and he began to slowly walk towards Sasha. Sasha shuffled back frantically, terrified out of her mind. Her hand brushed Jay's coat and in a panic, she picked up one of the blades from Jay's coat and pointed it at Jay, her hands shaking and her expression that of pure terror. Jay looked down at the blade unfazed and kept on moving closer, his head tilted in an angle is if in morbid curiosity. The blade slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered onto the floor. Sasha scrambled forward, her hands outstretched for the blade but Jay slammed his boot down, pinning the blade onto the floor with a loud _**CLANG!**_

"I'msorry!I'msorry!I'msorry!" She wailed as she curled into a ball and covered her head with her hands, too petrified to even look up at Jay. Jay stared down at her before kicking the blade away, crouched down and picked up the picture and the coat, "So you accuse me of sneaking into your rooms and killing you, while you think you can do the same. The next time you set foot here, I'll slice your limbs off...what do you want?" He snarled as he placed the picture carefully onto his desk and hands up his coat neatly on the stand before glaring at everyone else over his shoulder. Everyone blinked in complete shock. Finally, Jean shook his head and finally regained his senses

"Our equipment. Where are they!?" Jean yelled out.

Armin stopped and looked at him.

"Jean, what are you-"

"Our gears have gone missing! And the only person who could have done it is **him**!" Jean snapped.

Is this was what this was about? Had Jay really stolen their manoeuvre gear?

"Tell me dammit! You're the only one that spent the entire afternoon at the workbench and the only one with access to our gears!" Jean continued

"Yeah, Jay! Where the hell are they then?" Connie sneered, clearly looking more scared than he wanted to be.

"Guys...don't annoy him!" Sasha warned clearly terrified out of her mind.

"Yeah, I did take them...only because they were in such a crap state… I left them in the basement where I found them..." Jay said flatly.

"You admit it then!" Connie said brashly

"I knew it! I knew we couldn't trust you! Let me guess, sabotage the gear so that it makes us easier to kill" Jean yelled at him.

"Actually I fixed the whole bloody things in order to stop you from dying because of a stupid, avoidable malfunction in your kit because you were that stupid not to fully scrub parts down!" Jay remarked, his voice was calm but had an icy edge to it and was full of authority. Everyone was silent, not even daring to breathe except for Jean who was downright furious.

"Don't give me that b-" Jean began but was silenced instantly as Jay seized him by the collar and lifted him up, causing him to kick around aimlessly in the air.

"You honestly think...you can break into my room, go through my things...and threaten **me**!?" Jay seethed out, venom in his voice as Jean desperately fumbled at Jay's hands to let go of his collar, "If I were you, I'd keep my damn mouth shut and listen. You'll think you'll survive up here just because of what you **learnt** four years ago?" Jay asked savagely, "You think that by slaying titan, using your gear in whatever way you can gives you a decent chance of surviving up here!? Now _**that**_ is a whole of crap! **We are in the north now!** If you truly believe that you know at least a fraction of what I know about the gear, then you're dead wrong. The way you're going, you're going to die because of the cold or having your throat slit long before you even set foot into titan territory. I did you **all** a favour! SO QUIT WHINING!"

Jean stared at him completely unnerved, his mouth moving but no sound came out.

"Alright, we get it!" Armin blurted out, "Just put him down and we'll leave! That's a promise...Ok!?"

Jay slowly turned his head to Armin and gave him a blank dark stare. Armin swallowed but stood his ground. Finally, Jay shoved Jean, sending him staggering backwards into the doorway. Jay then turned around and grabbed Sasha's the back of jacket collar. She yelped as she was pulled onto her feet and half-staggered, half -rushed to the doorway.

"Set foot in my room again and it'll be the last mistake you'll ever make!" he growled as he took a half step forward to them. Instantly, everyone rushed out clearly not wanting to know what would happen if they left at that very second. As Jay was about to shut the door, Dante appeared into view, glancing at the four who had rushed out and stood at the doorway, staring at him.

"Jay, what the hell-" Dante breathed out, but Jay glared at him.

"Don't you start. Don't you dare, Blackwood!" Jay pointed at him, clearly at the limits of his patience.

"Do you enjoy this!? Do you seriously think that acting like this will benefit anyone!?" Dante leaned against the door, staring at him in annoyance.

"It's not like I have a choice. They're all just a bunch of idiots. Hell if we weren't forced to team up with them, we could just kill them, make things easier for ourselves…." Jay took of his gear and placed it on the table, "Besides, where's Al?"

"Well unlike you he's actually trying to make friends with the others rather than scare them out of their minds..." Dante muttered in annoyance.

"Why am I not surprised!? So why don't you do me the favour to say that his _**'guests'**_ broke into my room, went through my things without any permission and pointed a blade at me and threatened me. Let see him chew on that then because maybe he's too caught up in the moment to realise that trust is a two way thing. So as long as I don't interfere in their business, they have no **right** to interfere in mine! Tell me how would you feel if they broke into your room and went through your things. Especially if they find all those letters you received from M-"

"Alright! Alright!" Dante blurted defensively as he raised his hands in defeat, "I get the damn picture!"

"Look, I don't know why we were paired up with them and I'm certainly not sure what I should be thinking of them. But right now, the impression I'm getting is that most of them are cowards! Those four are terrified!...The other three can certainly handle themselves but that can easily change and if they even find out that-!" Jay stopped himself before he could say anymore. He shook his head and his voice became quieter and slower, "The less they know about the Mangler and me, the better… **for them** …"

Dante stared at his friends, "Is that what you keep telling yourself? I don't know if you actually enjoy acting like this or not... But one day, you'll realise that you have no choice but to rely on them to get you out of trouble!" Dante said as he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Jay let out a short humourless laugh and shook his head. _'Brilliant...Even_ _ **neither**_ _of them get it…'_ He looked up to his mask, the red visor glinting in the light from the shelf. He exhaled slowly as he stared at the mask, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. _'...Still...better to have a precaution…'_ he thought finally as he grabbed his mask and stormed out, locking the door behind him.

* * *

"That was too risky!" Connie breathed out, shaking his head.

"You think?" Jean snarled, "He knew we would come into his room, he was expecting it the entire time!"

"What do you think that means?" Sasha asked, still trembling from their last encounter.

"He's playing games with us," Jean growled, clenching his fists, "He's trying to get to us, trying to break our nerves..."

"Don't you get it!? He already has!" Sasha exclaimed incredulously. "We've seen the titans and the first interior squad. But he's _**completely**_ different!"

"Maybe for you…" Connie muttered, "A second longer and you probably would have wet yourself…"

Armin stayed silent. Just the night before, he would have agreed with them. But there was a couple of uneasy things he had noticed. Connie, Jean and Sasha were already scared of him but why didn't he kill them at that moment. Hell he had plenty of opportunities to kill them, even in this corridor. Then there was their manoeuvre gears. He had tampered with them of course, but what he specifically did to them was still unknown. Al was busy trying to gain their trust while Dante was certainly the type of guy you'd warm up to instantly but Jay wasn't doing anything. To try and win them round, or hell, even doing the opposite. So whose side was Jay on?

"Listen alright," Connie groaned as he entered his room "Let's just get some shut eye and then we'll fo-"

Suddenly they heard a noise coming from the corridor, the sound of metal clinking. They all slowly moved towards the corridor and froze. Only a few feet away was Jay, staring down at the door handle and twisting the key an agonisingly slow rate. Everyone stared at his hands then slowly up to his face which covered with his mask. Slowly he looked up at the door and twisted his head towards all four of them. For what felt like a minute, he just stood there, glaring at them through his red visor, his head tilted and his fixed painted smile dripping with a new coat of red. Finally he spoke.

"...Hello there…" Jay said, his voice monotone. Everyone stood still, just staring at him. "I was just entering my room..." he finished

"...I thought you only had one room...on the other side of the mansion," Jean half growled, half whimpered.

"Oh...that's my main room...but I'm rather fond of these ones as well… there's plenty of room and it's good for providing an easy exit and access to other rooms without anyone needing to know..." Jay tilted his head in reply to their silent stares, "...but...I'll guess I go then…" Slowly he walked away and turned round the corner, fixing them with one eerie glance just before he left…

 _ **END**_

* * *

 _AN:_

 _Definitely a fun chapter to write and to read._

 _Please leave a review of any kind - it keeps things going - and follow if you want to stay up to date with the chapters that I try to upload on a weekly basis._

 _Next Chapter will feature a clash between two characters as a result of the main event in this chapter which will be finished; I'll let you figure out who._

 _Of course if there is anything that you unsure about regarding any of the published chapters then I'm more than happy to clarify anything without giving away too much._

 _Till next week._


	9. Over the Edge

_AN:_

 _Don't forget to REVIEW and FOLLOW to keep up to date with the story and to just leave some feedback, even if you're just going to say something really simple._

 _As said last week there is a certain clash between two characters…_

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – Over the Edge**

Al ran a hand through his hair, adjusting the set of files beneath his arm. He had been carrying the stack of files and searching for Levi for the past twenty minutes and there had been nothing. _'Dammit, where the hell can one guy be?'_ Al thought in frustration, _'So much for showing a sign of good faith when you can't find them?'_ He entered the drawing room and looked up to see Mikasa. She was staring out of the window and turned to stare at him.

"...Hi, Alphonse…" She stated, giving him a dark glare.

"Hey, Mikasa… Say, have you seen Levi anywhere?" Al sighed out, looking around.

"No, I haven't. Why?" She asked suspiciously, giving the faintest hint of a shrug.

Al sighed as he pulled out the stack of reports from beneath his arm, "Well, I got all of these and I was hoping that I could have given those back to him…"

Mikasa shrugged absently, giving him a blank stare "I could hand them over for you if you want…"

Al blinked in surprise, "Oh, right, well...thanks I guess…" Al nodded as he placed the reports down onto the table and pushed them towards her. After a brief pause, he breathed out and said, "I guess I should apologise… Firstly, for the whole-trying-to-kill-you- and-Sasha-thing at the church, then the … _'incident'_... on the walls and also for Jay… I mean, it's been pretty rocky…"

Mikasa's eyes widened in surprise and her expression softened slightly, "Honestly...It really doesn't matter now…"

"Well at least one less thing on my mind to worry about" Al sighed in relief. "Anyway, I was wondering if-"

At that moment, Eren stormed in, scowling and looking around. He looked at Mikasa and then to Al, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Eren, is something wrong?" Mikasa asked, taking a couple steps toward Eren.

Eren shook his head quickly, "It's nothing… What's going on?"

Al gave a half-shrug and gestured to the reports, "Just handing over the reports...Why? You need anything?"

Eren glanced at him. _'Just what the hell are you up to?'_ He thought as he shook his head. "It's nothing… It doesn't matter…" He remarked as he began to walk out, not looking back. _'Besides…'_ Eren thought, _'I highly doubt you of all people would want to know…'_

"Oh hey, Eren!"

Eren turned around to see Dante grinning at him whilst dragging a large bucket filled with coils of wire. Eren curtly nodded, trying to avoid the sight and fixed him with an annoyed stare.

"Hey Dante…" He muttered, "Have you seen Jay anywhere?"

Dante let go of the bucket and sighed, "Oh, this really does a number on your back…" He groaned as stretched his arms over his head. Finally he looked at Eren, a wide smile on his face, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said…" Eren repeated, his patience already beginning to wear thin, "Have you seen Jay?"

Dante blinked before taking his hat off and running his hand through his hair, "Well, that is a good question. I mean, anyone would ask that about anyone but still I-"

Dante paused as he saw Eren beginning to scowl. Finally Dante sighed and put his hat back on. "The basement… He's in the basement… But seriously though… Would you please help a guy out here. These buckets are surprisingly heavy….Wait… Eren! Where are you going?! Did you even hear me?!" Dante called out as Eren began to storm down to the basement, his hands balled into fists and trembling with rage.

* * *

Jay furiously punched a wooden stand in the training basement, each punch getting harder and faster than the last.

 _ **THWACK!**_

' _Reject...'_

 _ **THWACK!**_

' _once an outsider, always an outsider'_

 _ **THWACK!**_

' _Outcast...'_

 _ **THWACK!**_

" _Black sheep of the family'_

Jay tensed up and gritted his teeth as he swung his fist with all of his strength.

 _ **CRACK!**_

Jay took a half-step back in surprise as half of the wooden stand had broken off and clattered onto the floor. He stared at the broken wood on the floor, breathing heavily. _'Crap...Al's not going to be happy about that…'_ He took a deep breath and massaged his hand which was now beginning to throb.

' _Well... the good thing about being a black sheep is that I show less dirt...'_ Jay allowed something that that could resemble a small smile to himself as he threw the broken wooden stand to the side and walked over to his bag. _'Working to gain their trust, huh?'_ Jay thought as he made his way to his bag and fumbled around inside, _'At least I'm trying to protect us from being killed in the process...bloody hypocrites...what's the point in them getting to trust us if they're going to end up... They may not like it but that's how it's got to be...'_ Jay took a swig from his water flask and stared out to the wall, leaning against the workbench with his gear sitting on top. _'Still though...It's not as if our job was to become best friends, now was it…'_ Jay tore his gaze away as he reached for his towel.

Jay wiped his forehead with his towel and was about to reach for his gear until he heard heavy quick footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned his head sharply and fixed the staircase with a glare. Suddenly, Eren stormed down and glared back at him, his eyes full of bitter hatred that Jay knew all too well. Jay rolled his eyes and sighed with annoyance, "...Listen, Eren, I'm not in the mood, alright…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Eren spat out with fury, red with rage, "Huh?...Answer me!"

Jay sighed and rolled his head," Did you hit your head or something to be this stupid? What are you on about?" he asked in annoyance, eyeing the hot headed teenager in front of him.

"Shut up…" Eren growled, "I heard about what you did to my friends. You have no right to try and go after them...You hear me, you have NO RIGHT! **"**

* * *

 _ **Earlier**_

 _Eren knocked on Armin's door and waited outside. He heard the sound of a key being inserted into a lock and twisting. The door finally opened and Armin peered through from the gap._

" _Hey, why is your door locked?" Eren asked as he walked into the room as Armin shut the door behind him._

" _It's nothing…" Armin admitted quickly before turning to Eren, "Anyway, was there something you need?"_

 _Eren sat down in a nearby chair and lowered his head, "I'm just wondering…" He said slowly, pausing to find the right words, "Did you...find anything that could give us an advantage over these guys?"_

 _Armin blinked and didn't say a word._

" _I mean…Jayden...well… that's another thing and the other two seem alright. But Alphonse told us something which was kind of worrying. They act as Erwin's personal squad. When something goes wrong, they're sent in to_ _ **'fix it'**_ _. But the problem is what if they're all the same. They're all ruthless who killed God knows how many… And when push comes to shove...Who knows what could happen?…"_

 _Armin swallowed. 'He has no idea what happened...No one told him. The others are that scared…' He thought._

" _Well…" He began shakily. "Maybe you're...overreacting?" Eren looked up at him, his face creased in confusion, "What I'm suggesting…" Armin continued, "...Is that maybe...we should just give each other space...that's all…"_

 _Eren stayed silent for what felt like hours, "...What happened?..." He asked slowly._

 _Armin gave a violent shudder and Eren easily noticed it. "What...happened…?" Eren asked slowly. Armin quickly shook his head and began to get up, "It's nothing-"_

" _Armin...What...Happened?…" Eren demanded as he stood in Armin's way. Armin stared at Eren before sighing and began to speak._

* * *

Jay rubbed his eyelids. This was the last thing he wanted or even deserved. People come up to him to pick a fight and he seemed to be the one always to blame for problems like these. But should he actually try and fight back for Eren's sake. He should just ignore him. _'No'_ he thought, _'Eren needed to be taught a lesson, just need to break down his pride first'_

"Well..." Jay said flatly, picking up his wooden training swords and slowly walking up to him. "Go on...What are you going to do then?"

Eren faltered for a second as he took a half step back. ' _Bet you weren't expecting that, weren't you?'_ Jay thought to himself but still kept a straight face as he stared blankly at him. After a couple seconds, Eren shook his head and took a step forward. "Don't test me…don't you dare try..." Eren said aloud, failing to keep his anger down.

"What, you weren't expecting this?" Jay asked, unfazed, "If you think, I'm going to point an actual sword at you then you're sorely mistaken...I have no intention whatsoever of killing you...but that doesn't mean that I'll beat you into the dirt…" Eren stared at Jay, burning with rage but instead clenched his jaw. Jay blinked, his head tilted in curiosity, _'...Let's see if he actually does it now…'_ he thought. "What? Nothing...How disappointing…" Jay sneered as he turned his back on him and began to walk off.

' _We'll see about that after I'm done with you!_ ' Eren thought savagely as he rushed forward and began to take a swing. _'And there it is…'_ Jay thought as he turned sharply and swung out. The wooden sword connected solidly with Eren's jaw with a loud _**crack**_ causing him to stagger onto the floor. Jay tutted as he shook his head, causing Eren to be even more irritated.

"I expected better…" Jay mumbled in mock disappointment in his voice.

"What!? Too much of a coward to fight me without your swords!" Eren snarled, trying to get the upper hand.

' _It's a fact that he could beat me at hand to hand'_ Jay considered, _'Like hell I'm actually going to give you that chance…'_

"What? Too stupid to pull off a simple surprise attack?" Jay asked calmly. There was no mocking tone in his voice but that was enough to aggravate Eren

' _Damn you! DAMN YOU!_ ' Eren felt a thought scream out as he swung to uppercut Jay. Jay backed away and Eren threw a fast left hook. Jay swung out with one hand, one sword connecting with Eren's wrist sharply and the other smacking him in his side. Eren staggered back, gritting his teeth as his arm and side began to sting with pain.

' _Let's see what you can do up close…"_ Jay thought as he lazily swung out. Eren ducked under swiftly and threw a quick overhead punch. Jay lowered his stance and swung out with a left hook, blocking Eren's punch and smacking Eren in the shoulder and the chest. Eren staggered backwards and suddenly, like a snake posed to attack, Jay brought his left hand out from behind his back and shot it out, his palm connecting sharply with his chin. Eren's teeth clacked together audibly as he felt himself getting knocked back and landing hard on his back against the mat. Eren growled in pain and annoyance as one hand went to his jaw and the other hand was still gripping his sword. Jay let out a sigh and continued to tap out the rhythm behind his back as he slowly began to encircle him.

"Well, come on Yeager...get up…" Jay stated coldly, looking away from his opponent and staring blankly at a shining set of armour set up against the wall. "...Get up, Yeager…" his voice a little louder.

"PUT DOWN THE DAMN SWORDS AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, YOU PIECE OF SCUM!" Eren roared out, glaring at Jay. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?"

"...Good question… You're right...Let's make things a little more interesting…" Jay spoke as he reached for the workbench and pulled out a pair of sharpened metal swords. Eren's eyes widened as Jay strode up to him and he flinched at Jay brought them down. Jay slammed the swords down just a metre in front of Eren, a loud high-pitched sound pierced the air.

"What are you doing!?" Eren demanded, not taking his eyes of the blades as Jay took a couple steps back.

"I'm giving you a choice. Pick up the blades and fight me or just give up and walk out of here with your pride intact…"

Eren stared at Jay, his eyes wide with shock. "Are you insane!?"

Jay drummed out a quick regular pattern behind his back, his attention to a suit of armour standing up next to the wall, _'Hmm...You just realised that now…'_

"You heard what I said…" Jay stated dully, "Pick up the swords…"

"I'm not playing your game, you freak!" Eren spat out with disgust.

"Why not?" Jay asked tilting his head. Eren spluttered out in shock and was quickly replaced with anger. "You got a death wish!? You want me to kill you that badly?!"

Jay glared at Eren, his patience wearing thin. "What I want is you to take the smart option and leave. But clearly, you are too stupid to realise it…"

Eren pushed himself slowly, getting himself onto one knee. "Why...are you doing this!?" He roared out.

Jay suddenly swung out. His sword hit Eren beneath the jaw and sent him sprawling onto his back, crying out as sharp pain shot up his skull.

"Because you're a liability to us!" Jay seethed out, swinging out and striking Eren's elbow as he was slowly beginning to get up. Eren swore in pain as he fell onto his side and began to shuffle away, gritting his teeth in pain.

"You're going to be the reason why humanity will be wiped out by the Titans!" Jay's voice began to rise as he swung again, this time, hitting Eren's knees with a loud **CRACK!** He growled out in pain as he tensed up and continued to edge away from Jay, his jaw clenched and his eyes fixed to the ground, trying to shut out Jay's taunts.

"But most of all, you're a damn coward who'll end up killing the rest of us." Mikasa! Armin! They'll all be dead because of you because you're a whiny brat who can't do anything right! So prove me wrong and TAKE! YOUR! PICK!" Jay roared out as he continued to beat Eren with every word.

Instantly, Eren yelled out as reached for the swords pinned into the ground. As his fingers curled around the handle of the blade, he sprang to his feet and slashed upwards. Jay dodged to the side lazily as if he had all the time in the world.

"TALK ABOUT THEM AGAIN! I DARE YOU!" Eren screamed out, lunging forward in anger, his sword extending out. Jay tilted his head to the side, the blade missing him wildly. Effortlessly, Jay wrapped his arm around Eren's elbow and threw his training sword at Eren's jaw. Eren's head whipped back as the sword dropped from his grasp. Jay casually caught it and slammed the hilt against his gut. Eren doubled over in pain, grunting loudly as he staggered back. Jay seized him roughly by the shirt and flipped him over his shoulder and kicked out behind him. His foot caught Eren in the side and sent him flying and crashing into the nearby suit of armour.

* * *

Al's and Mikasa's head perked up as they heard a loud crash coming from the basement. It was loud and metallic and rang out in the room.

"What the hell?" Al breathed out as he rushed out of the room and looked out into the corridor. He turned his head to see Dante dragging a large bucket filled with coils of wire whistling to himself. "Hey! Dante! Who's downstairs?"

"Oh, just Jay… He's training, why?" Dante noted, not looking at them as he continued to drag the bucket along

"Great...Jay's having his tantrum again," Al sighed aloud, rubbing his forehead in annoyance as Mikasa walked up beside him.

"...Oh and I think Eren went there as well..." Dante added.

Mikasa froze instantly, "Why? Why did he go there?" She asked quickly, beginning to fear the worst.

"I don't know… He looked really pissed, that's a fact…" Al and Mikasa glanced at each other, pure horror written on their faces. "Anyway can you guys help?" Dante continued, "This thing is actually heavier than it-"

But before he could say anything else, Al and Mikasa had already begun sprinting towards the basement. Dante watched them go in disbelief and shook his head, _'Why, thank you Dante, you're so helpful...No problem you two, happy to help…"_ Dante mimicked sourly as he continued to drag the bucket across the corridor.

* * *

Jay first glanced at Eren lying on the floor then inspected the sword in his hands, pointing it out and giving it a couple of swings.

"Disgusting... Your sword fighting is pathetic...What would Alistair say?…" Jay tossed the sword down to Eren, sending it clattering in front of him. "Now get up!"

Eren plucked the sword from the ground and pushed himself onto his feet, his back still throbbing from when he was sent crashing into the suit of armour. He gritted his teeth as he stared at Jay's face. _'Completely unreadable'_ Eren thought as he encircled Jay slowly, _'There's nothing, whatsoever.'_

' _To think this maniac actually couldn't stop himself…'_ Jay thought, a part of him couldn't help but feel surprise and awe. ' _Well… let's give him a chance then…'_

Eren swung out quickly. Jay's eyes flicked lazily to the blade, knowing that he could counter it too easily but stepped back, the blade missing him by inches. Eren repeatedly swung out, only for Jay to back away and the blades to miss him by inches.

' _He's backing away'_ Eren realised as he kept on attacking, noticing Jay slowly edging back to the table with his gear. _'I can easily trap him and finish him off'._ Eren kept lunging and attacking as Jay kept stepping back away from striking distance, apparently unaware that very slowly, he was being back into a corner. Soon enough, Jay's elbow brushed against the workbench, his eyes flickering to what was behind him for a brief second.

' _Here's my chance!'_ Eren thought savagely as he swung out in an arc, preventing him from moving around.

Suddenly, Jay reached behind him to his gear where his swords were. He quickly reached for the handles, pulled them smoothly out of their sheaths and slashed out, batting Eren's swords away and completely exposing him to any attack. Jay lowered one of the sword and flicked his wrist upwards, ejecting the blade and sending it spinning upwards. Eren leaned back just in time before the blade could slice his jaw in half. He tore his eyes away from the blade spinning in the air just in time to see Jay close the gap between the two, Jay stepped forward and clapped the two handles together against the sides of Eren's head, discombobulating him. Eren's hands went to his head but soon after, Jay's elbow collided with his nose, sending him staggering back, blood pouring from his nose and falling to the ground. Jay leapt in the air, caught the blade and sent his swords crashing down on him.

* * *

Eren stared blankly at the blade embedded in the ground just centimetres away from his face. He swallowed in shock and hesitantly turned his head to his right. The handle of his sword was just an inch from his fingertips and Jay's other blade had pinned it directly into the ground. At that moment, Eren realised that he was holding his breath but before he could even breathe out. He saw Jay looming over him to pluck the swords out from the ground. _'Here's my chance…'_ Eren thought as he pushed himself and began to swing out. Jay's head snapped into his direction and his hand blurred, grabbing Eren roughly by the wrist. He yanked him forward and Jay's knee connected audibly with Eren's chest. Eren's eyes flew open as he collapsed onto the floor, his arms wrapped around his chest and the veins bulging from of his neck as struggled to breathe. Jay reached down, roughly grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up.

"Listen well, Yeager, because I won't repeat myself again. I sincerely couldn't give a crap about your pride, I don't even care if you don't like me. You and your friends brought this on yourselves! Not me! I gave you a chance to leave. I gave you a chance to back off! You just kept on persisting! I'm won't kill you but next time, I'll beat you senseless! Do you understand me!?" He yelled out, shaking Eren violently and causing him to wheeze and splutter out in pain.

As soon as he was finished, he saw Al and Mikasa rush down the stairs. Jay cursed and threw Eren down and plucked the swords from the ground. Mikasa eyes scanned over to Eren as they widened in horror as she saw the blood on his face and him clutching at his chest. Instantly, she rushed over to where Eren was to check if he was alright. Al gritted his teeth and grabbed Jay by the collar.

"Jay!" Al yelled in his face, "THAT'S ENOUGH! This has to stop! This is under my roof that you're doing this completely mindless crap and you better stop or I will gladly put a bullet in you. If that doesn't work I will beat you senseless and drag you right to Erwin and see to it that you get court-martialed!".

Jay batted Al's arms away and pushed him back tilted his head to the side, his expression that of curiosity, as if to ask _'You're joking, right?'_. "Really? When he threw the first attack and I only reacted! You're out of your damn mind!" Jay sneered in anger.

Mikasa stood up and began to storm up to Jay. Al cursed and extended an arm out to stop her from getting any closer to Jay. "What is wrong with you!?" Mikasa yelled at him, "What happened to your 'orders'!? You were going to kill him!"

"Don't be stupid! It was all under control. Too bad I can't say the same for you or his friends." Jay turned away, sighing in annoyance as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to control his anger.

"What the hell are you trying to say!?" Mikasa spat out, infuriated.

Jay turned to face her, the savageness of the tone of his voice and his glare was almost frightening. "I'm saying that I'm surprised he'll last a few seconds without his friends to constantly save him again and again. He's humanity's only hope and he can't even fare on his own in a simple swordfight? Let's face it! Eren won't be able to use his titan ability all the time so fighting with weapons is his last resort and he couldn't even get that right...And don't get me started with you!"

"You have no right to-" Mikasa blurted out but was interrupted instantly

" **I have no right!?** You're his _**sister**_ for crying out loud! Answer me this question! When was the last goddamn time you actually took it upon yourself to train him? You came 1st in your training division while he came 5th. It also happened to say that this idiot was at first unable to fully use his gear. He was a 'lackluster in the classroom' and only 'marginally better on field'-."

"For goodness sake, Jay! There is a MAJOR difference between skill in theory and skill in battle. YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS!" Al argued out

"You've read them. Tell me any time if what I've just mentioned isn't what it says on **his**!" Jay remarked coldly as he kept his gaze fixed on Eren and Mikasa. Al remained silent and gritted his teeth.

"While that was happening, you didn't even help him with that… Now tell me...Who's really hurting our chances to fight back against the titans?"

Mikasa's eyes were narrowed in annoyance, "Don't start with our chances against the titans! It has nothing to do with this!"

Jay grunted, giving her a dark abysmal stare. "You're right. A better question would be what would you prioritise first? Eren or the mission?" He snapped, clenching his jaw and his fists. Mikasa gave a violent start and took a half step back.

"Jay!? What the hell!?" Al began, shocked. Mikasa froze, staring at Jay in shock. Even Eren was horrified as he glanced at Mikasa with worry.

"Or better yet…" Jay continued, "Who would you sacrifice if it meant the survival of humanity? Eren or Armin?"

' _Nonono, don't do this! Just don't…'_ Al thought in sick anticipation as he glanced at Mikasa's and Eren's horror-struck faces.

"Well go on… Eren or Armin? It's a simple question. It's one or the other!" Jay stated firmly.

"Leave her out of this…"

All of their heads turned to see Eren wheezing out as he slowly tried to push himself up but failed, staring at Jay and shaking his head slowly. All of the rage had gone from his eyes and was instead just pleading Jay to stop "...Just leave her out of this…Just don't..."

"Eren or Armin?" Or maybe your entire squad even…That'd be pretty interesting to find out..." Jay continued, rolling his eyes, ignoring Eren.

Mikasa was completely taken aback by what Jay had said, the entire room was silent and thick with tension. She was about to say something but stopped. Jay's head tilted slightly, noticing that she was hesitating. Al looked from them and then to Jay, struggling to hold in his anger.

"Jay...Get the hell upstairs now…That's an **order**..." Al seethed out. Jay stared at him for a moment then grunted in annoyance as he stormed out. Al let out an exasperated sigh and looked over to Eren, "...Hey, how you holding up?

"...How do you think I'm holding up?..." Eren groaned out.

Al turned around and knelt down to Eren's eye level, "Well, choosing to face Jay in a swordfight isn't the smartest life choice you can make. But hey, you seemed to fare better than most. Most people would either be dead or critically injured." Al got up and brushed down his knees, "We better get you to the infirmary to be on the safe side," And with that, he pulled Eren up onto his feet and led Mikasa and Eren out.

* * *

' _Just what the hell is Al thinking!?'_ Jay stormed down the corridor, fuming with rage. _'He honestly think this friend crap would work. Especially against the Senator! They approached me, attacked me and I only responded. I'm not the enemy here! So why are they so damn adamant to not see the real threat here! They can't get their priorities right. They're as good as dead!'_

Jay turned around the corner and saw Dante hauling a bucket of coiled wires across the corridor. Jay stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Dante, his brain trying to register the sight in front of him. "...Dante, just what the hell are you-" Jay began.

Dante's head snapped in his direct, a crazed look on his face and his hair a mess beneath his fedora. Jay blinked, not knowing what to expect.

"NO! NO! Don't you dare say anything! Just help me!" Dante suddenly snapped at him.

"...What?" Jay asked with uncertainty.

"Help! Me!" Dante shouted out, his lower jaw trembling.

"...Why?..." Jay asked, knowing full well that he was going to regret it.

"Help me get these buckets to Sasha's and Connie's rooms! I'm so close-"

"No, you're not" Jay cut him short.

"Wait, what?" Dante stared at Jay in confusion.

"Their rooms are on the other side of the mansion…" Jay added on.

Dante set his bucket down and stared at Jay, his face was twitching slightly.

"...You'll be ok?" Jay asked smoothly. Dante only responded with a very curt nod.

"...You need any help?" Jay asked again. Dante only responded with a quick shake of the head.

"...Bye..." Jay turned around and walked off, leaving Dante alone, trembling and sniffling.

* * *

 _AN:_

 _The whole recurring Dante and the bucket will be explained next chapter; it's part of his plan for something._

 _The Eren and Jay fight sure was great. Well. If you find a one sided fight great that is but nonetheless it was quite a start for relations between Eren and Jay to say the very least, it'll develop more as the story goes on._

 _Next chapter will be more focused on developing character relationships between the several characters and further showing more aspects of the GSC in some interesting discussions._

 _Till next week then. Enjoy._


	10. Al's Methods

_AN:_

 _Sorry for the late upload I've been a bit under the weather but I managed to get the chapter out anyway._

* * *

 **Chapter 10 – Al's Methods**

Eren winced as Al applied cold water to his bruises.

"For the thousandth time, groaning and whining about it is not going to help," Al reminded Eren again, "Besides, you don't want your sister to think it's worse than it actually is…"

Eren muttered something beneath his breath as he looked around at the large infirmary. There were stacks of supplies in the cupboards around him and all arranged neatly on the table. After that fight with Jay, Al had instantly got to work tending to Eren's injuries.

"I'm a titan shifter. There's no point in doing this!" Eren complained as stared at the floor.

"It sure doesn't hurt making sure…" Al stated matter of factly, "I mean, you decided to take on Jay in a **swordfight**! A pretty stupid decision if I say so myself…"

"It's not my fault…" Eren sniffed, his voice muffled by the cotton wool in his nose. His gaze wandered to Mikasa, who was leaning against the doorway and watching Eren. "You can go you know…" Eren muttered, "It'll be fi-"

"I'm staying…" Mikasa stated flatly. Eren was about to protest but Mikasa cut him off instantly, "I. Am. Staying. That's final…"

"You should listen to her. Nothing is worse than refusing a lady's request…" Al muttered as he walked over to the table to look through his equipment. Eren glanced at Al before shaking his head and lowering his gaze. _'...Just what the hell happened?...'_ He thought to himself, _'One minute, I'm on my feet, the next, I'm here half beaten and bleeding… It only took a matter of minutes as well… He was toying with me… He wanted me to lash out. And I couldn't even land a single hit on him!'_ He clenched his fists with anger and loathing. Mikasa's eyes widened as she noticed this and took a couple steps forward, "Eren, what's wrong…"

Eren looked up, snapping from his trance and shaking his head hastily, "It's nothing… It doesn't matter…"

Al glanced at the two of them before speaking up, "I...need some ice...Mikasa, can you get it for me. I need to stay and tend to his injuries…"

Mikasa looked at Al and then to Eren. Reluctantly, she nodded and walked out without saying a word. After a couple seconds, Al silently crept to the doorway, seeing if Mikasa was gone. Eren's face creased in confusion which quickly turned into suspicion. _'He's not going to try it, is he?'_ He thought as his hand slowly reached for a scalpel resting on the edge of the table and silently pocketing it. Satisfied, Al went to the window, held out a bowl and scooped some ice from a nearby branch.

"I wouldn't tell her if I were you…" He remarked, bringing a finger to his lips.

Eren blinked puzzled, taken aback slightly, "Er...Why did you ask her to leave then?"

Al shrugged, "You said you wanted her to leave...Now put this at the back of your head…" He stated as he wrapped the ice in a flannel and held it out to Eren. Eren took it hesitantly, "Uh...I guess so…"

"And besides, I got something to ask you," Al added, "How come you two are brother and sister? You two aren't related, that's pretty apparent. But most of all, why do you think she's so protective of you?"

Eren stared at Al who was focusing his attention on something else, "I thought… it would have said what happened… on our reports…"

Al glanced at Eren and shrugged, "Yeah, well… I want to hear it from you…"

Eren sighed out, "Well, I saved her from a bunch of traffickers… Well… we saved each other to be honest… We were 8 at the time."

Al paused momentarily, "So you killed when you were just 8 years old...That's...surprising…" he spoke, trying his best to find the right words.

"Hey! They were scum who needed to be put down! Don't judge me if I'm the only one with the gall to admit it! And I certainly don't regret if that's what you ask next!" Eren snapped defensively.

But much to his surprise, Al sighed out and shrugged, taking Eren by surprise. "What? What's that supposed to mean!?"

Al shook his head, "Nothing important. You just sound a hell of a lot like a particular someone. I'm actually beginning to wonder if there are that many differences between the two of you…"

Eren stared at Al, his jaw clenched, "What? Jayden!? Are you out of your mind!? I'm nothing like that freak! No-one does that to Mikasa or my friends! Certainly not on my watch!"

Al raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, "Hey, you're the one who suggested it. Not me. And you still haven't answered my second question though-"

Eren sighed out and ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I don't know! I just don't, OK? She's my sister, not my parent. Why don't you ask her?"

Al exhaled as he rubbed the back of his head. He rubbed his eyes and spoke wearily. "It's pretty obvious from the way I see it. You're the only family she has and she just wants to make sure you're safe in the end. What's wrong with that?"

"Remember when Trost fell?" Eren retorted, "Before that happened, she asked me to come find her and stick by her side until the whole thing blew over. Hell, she even disobeyed a superior officer's orders just so she could keep an eye on me. We were facing against the Titans! And she'd rather be my babysitter than fight them off…"

"That's pretty harsh" Al asked curiously, "I mean, she cares about you, so why keep running off or telling her to leave when it's only going to make things worse?"

"W-what?" Eren spluttered, "Sometimes, it's not like I have a damn choice. Besides, I'm just as old as her and I'm a titan shifter. I'm pretty sure I can handle myself." Deep down, Eren knew it was a lie. His fight with Jay proved otherwise but he sure wasn't give Al a reason to think otherwise.

"So that's what you think, huh?...Interesting…" Al noted thoughtfully. Eren blinked, a mixture of surprise and suspicion rising through him. Before he could answer, footsteps could be heard echoing from the corridor, getting louder as they headed towards the infirmary. Al raised his hand out to Eren instantly. It only took Eren a second to understand as he quickly gave Al the flannel full of ice. Al quickly chucked the ice out of the window and quickly went to his supplies just before Mikasa returned with the ice.

"I brought the ice," Mikasa stated, bringing out a small bowl full of ice.

"Thank you…" Al glanced at her and nodded as he took it and filled the same flannel with ice and held it out to Eren. "Honestly, you should be alright for now. Just keep this to the back of your head. And avoid any fights from now on. Whether it's with us or your friends."

Eren only muttered something beneath his breath as he took the flannel and walked out without looking back as he passed Mikasa. Al shook his head and muttered, "Well, isn't he grateful?"

"I'd better go check on him…" Mikasa noted aloud before walking off, but was stopped by Al. "The same goes for you as well by the way."

Mikasa turned to Al. Her brow was furrowed and a frown appeared on her face as she tried to make sense of what Al said. "I beg your pardon?"

"Try not to get into any fights with anyone else. Like going after Jay because of what happened to Eren.

Mikasa's stared at Al, her expression unreadable. "I never said I was…"

"I'm only suggesting it… But if it's any consolation to you, don't worry about Jay. Just make sure Eren avoids him and if something does happens, let me know…" Al stated in a serious tone. Mikasa breathed out, relaxing slightly. "Fine…"

Al nodded, clearly relieved, "Good...That's good…"

"And Alphonse...Thank you… For taking care of Eren…" Mikasa admitted with a nod.

Al waved a hand dismissively as shook his head, a small smile forming on his face. "Please...its Al...And it's not a problem…" As soon as Mikasa left, Al's smile dropped and was quickly replaced with a scowl. _'But I know someone who is…'_ he thought bitterly and he threw the supplies back into the shelves, closed them and walked briskly out.

* * *

Al stormed to the library, his fists and jaw clenched as he entered. He went past multiple bookshelves to see Jay, sitting next to the glass-stained window, staring down at a chessboard with numerous pieces arranged on it.

"So here you are? Playing chess…" Al stated, annoyance beginning to overwhelm him.

"Here I am, analysing and testing my tactical abilities. You're almost as bad as Dante…" Jay remarked in a similar fashion. "Now if you excuse me, I'm trying to focus here."

' _Oh no. Like hell I'm going to let you get away with that!'_ Al thought as he finally decided that he had enough. "How about you excuse me for wondering what the hell were you thinking!? Al growled out.

Jay looked up at him and sighed wearily, "I'm trying to focus Al. If I wanted to be shouted at for stupid reasons I'd ask-"

"I don't care about what you want right now! What you did was unbelievable! You didn't have to take on Eren and you **certainly** didn't need to force that question onto Mikasa! That's low even by your standards!" Al snapped.

Jay shrugged, "All I did was ask her a question… What's wrong with that?"

"You just asked her who'd she leave to die if she had to choose between her friends or her brother!" Al exclaimed in disbelief, "You don't see me asking you about the mission or Penny!"

"And I don't ask you about the mission or Elias…" Jay replied sternly, a subtle icy edge to his voice. Al stared at Jay and was about to shout before Jay raised a hand and cut in quickly, "Only because I trust you enough to know that isn't fair and I know what you'd pick…"

Al felt the sudden anger dissipate slightly as he shook his head, "Seriously? You lecturing me on what's fair. That's certainly what I need…" he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What we need…" Jay stated as he got up, "Is to make sure they don't have some secret agenda they'd put above the mission and are on their toes. It's almost as if you want them to be like animals for slaughter…"

Al grunted in annoyance as he turned away, not even bothering to give Jay an answer.

"...Or maybe you wanted to get a little too friendly with some of them like before…" Jay muttered under his breath but Al heard it. He turned to Jay and gave him a glare full of warning.

"Don't you dare start! Don't even say her name!" Al snapped, whirling around to face him, a clear icy tone to his voice as he jabbed a finger in Jay's direction. "I don't want to hear a single word about her. Is that clear!?"

"I wasn't going to…" Jay admitted, his voice level and deadly calm "I'm just saying this from a different perspective-"

"Well look at it from **my** view, Talbot! Just be aware of the fact that after goddamn mess **you** made on the wall, at least I was trying to handle this!-" Al exclaimed.

"Oh, you were handling it, of course!" Jay interrupted, "Just like you handled the Mangler incident a year ag-"

"Don't bring that up!" Al retorted angrily, "That is on your head and your head alone!"

Jay gave a humourless laugh, "Seriously, do I have to list the things that went horribly wrong under **your** command-"

"Enough! This is different!" Al yelled out, furious

"Well, you're right!" Jay snapped, "This is different! This isn't a way to boost your resume, to get back at me or whatever damn agenda any of us have. We are part of a war that humanity doesn't even know is happening! Erwin has put _**us**_ together with the squad that led an entire revolution! That should have hit home by now that this is something far bigger than any of us. You're not helping them by pretending to be friends with them! You're just making them more vulnerable!"

"Well, what the hell do you suggest!?" Al spat out, his patience wearing thin, "Kidnap them all in their sleep and put guns to their head!? Act out the wall incident again!? Is that what you want!?"

"What I want is irrelevant. Like you said…" Jay growled, "What needs to be done is that we all understand boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. Like Jean, Sasha and Connie breaking into my room and Eren throwing the first punch! I only reacted but you **chose** not to see the bigger picture! So would you kindly justify that to me because I can't!"

Al stayed silent and only stared at Jay.

"But if you want to start doing something useful." Jay continued, "Stop trying to help Mikasa and her dimwit brother's with their hurt feelings and start focusing on the three idiots upstairs!" Jay scowled as he stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

Al stayed still for a few seconds. _'Start doing something useful, huh?'_ He thought before swiping at the table, sending a chessboard and the chess pieces flying across the room. _'What the hell do you think I've been doing all this time!?'_

Al finally calmed his breathing as he took a couple steps back and shut his eyes, _'Well...I guess I have one idea now for them...And who knows how that'll go down…'_ He thought in sick anticipation as he walked out.

* * *

Sasha woke up when she heard the sound of the door knocking. She let out an annoyed groan and turned in her bed, pulling the cover up to her chin until the door was knocked again

Sasha groaned, "Why can't I just sleep for once…" Sasha reluctantly opened the door and was greeted by Connie and Jean, both wearing thick black fur coats, "aren't you guys the wee bit tired?"

"Well of course we are but it's…" Connie lowered his voice slightly, "Al wanted Jean and I for something and the two of us have some sketchy ideas so we said we'll bring you along".

"It's a contingency if this is his plan to kill us a small group at a time. The more people there are the better" Jean added, keeping his voice hushed.

"What about the others?" Sasha asked, stepping outside and shutting the door behind her.

"We said we would bring you along so Al it could only be you," Connie said, "Here quickly just throw this on, "Come on if we take too long he'll get suspicious".

"So you don't even know why?" Sasha walked with them towards the stables.

"He just said to grab you and head back to the stables, he's probably going to do whatever it is he's gonna do outside" Jean and the others walked down the main foyer stairs, "we got some jackets already, it's cold out there".

The three of them entered the stables and saw Al waiting for them by his horse, wearing a matching fur coat to Connie and Jean along with a pair of gloves, "You took your time. I'm sorry for keeping you up at this hour but I'll explain later. For now saddle up and follow my lead. Alright?".

"Yeah sure thing" they murmured back, doing as Al said and riding behind him out of the stables. They rode until they were a quite a bit away from the mansion and on the perimeter of the forest.

"Tie your horses to the trees over here" Al gestured to a cluster of trees nearby, his orders being obeyed once more.

"What do you even want to do?" Sasha asked impatiently.

"Just walk behind me" Al walked on into the forest with a lantern in his hand, the others on his tail till they reached a small clearing. "This spot's perfect" Al set down the lantern and turned back around to face the others,"Alright I want you three in a line, now". Sasha, Jean and Connie obeyed and stood in a line a bit away from Al. Al reached into his jacket and threw knives on the ground, puzzling the others. He threw knives of various size, length and design, a few pistols and some knuckle dusters.

"So you were gonna kill us weren't you!" Jean exclaimed, grabbing a few knives a pistol from the ground and passing them to Sasha and Connie.

"Now now Jean, just hear me out" Al raised his hands in surrender, "it'll all make sense in a short while so long as you listen to me very carefully".

Jean thought about it and let a groan, "fine then, but I won't think twice about putting a bullet in your head with this" Jean aimed the pistol at Al's head, Connie and Sasha getting ready to throw their knives.

"Seems like you jumped the gun," Al smirked, "no pun intended."

"Just shut up and start talking!" Connie held another knife in his hand.

"It's simple," Al stepped back away from the pile of weapons, "I'm going to give you a choice, you can either kill me right now or not".

"I'm sorry what?" Jean asked, taken aback.

"Er...I said I'm giving you the choice to kill me or not, didn't you hear me?" Al tilted his head.

"That's it?" Sasha was confused.

"This was your plan, to have us kill you?" Connie asked, looking at Sasha and Jean with a completely puzzled look.

"Well I never said that you will kill me. I'm just giving you a choice. It's important you stick to the little details. But to elaborate, I'm just going to stand here while you three decide whether you want to kill me or not," Al took out another pistol from his jacket and threw at Connie's feet, "Just so, you know, I trust you three enough to make the right decision."

Everyone remained silent, Jean, Sasha and Connie lost in making a choice.

"If we kill him now we can cripple Jay and Dante" Sasha thought, lifting her knife.

"But then again would his death really affect them?" Connie wondered, aiming his pistol at Al.

"Killing him would just be like digging our own graves, once he's dead, Jay and Dante would have a viable excuse to kill us all," Jean went over the possible scenarios in his head, still aiming his gun at Al's head, "but was he really telling the truth about that last part, does he really have that much trust in us already…" Jean looked at Al carefully, "the guy's like a fucking fortress, he's not showing anything". Jean made his decision and threw the pistol into Al's hands, "What's the point you would never give us loaded guns in the first pla-".

Al took the pistol and fired it a tree, the bark erupting into splinters, "I trusted you three enough with a loaded gun".

Sasha let her hand loose and the knife fell harmlessly onto the ground, "Jean's right, what's the whole point of this anyway.."

"Well, I'm glad you asked…" Al admitted, walking up to the weapons and began to pick them up, "I wanted to see what you would do if you had the opportunity to kill me and you didn't take it. Good to know."

Jean shook his head in disbelief, his jaw hanging open, "W-Wait! You mean… You were going to put your own life on the line...Just to see what we'd do!? Are you crazy?"

Al breathed out and shrugged, "Does it honestly matter? I mean, you guys can clearly see how trying to kill one another is pointless. As long as we are clear on that, in theory, we shouldn't have a problem. Am I wrong?..."

Connie slowly shrugged, "Uh...I...I guess not…"

"Exactly my point!" Al added as he began to walk off, "By the way, you'd better get some sleep...And I wouldn't tell anyone about this as well… Who knows what would happen if the others find out you were pointing guns at me...Hell, they'd probably want a turn as well…"

* * *

 _ **Earlier**_

Dante kicked open the door to Connie's room and staggered in with the buckets dragging across the floor behind him. He let go off the handles and collapsed onto his knees. He tilted his head back and his arms shot up into the air.

"YES! YES! OH GOD YES!" He cried out happily as he flopped onto the floor and began to laugh. He pulled out the picture of the girl from his pocket and kissed it.

"Thanks for believing in me, gorgeous…" He smirked as he put the picture back and closed his eyes, smiling.

He laid there for a minute before pushing himself up onto his feet and brushing down his shirt. He turned to his buckets and grinned wickedly as he rolled his sleeves and clicked his knuckles.

"Now...Let the games begin…"

* * *

Suddenly, two series of screams could be heard, causing everyone in the manor to wake up.

"What's going on?" Eren asked groggily as he rubbed his eyes and opened the door and looked around who were doing the same thing.

"You tell me…" Armin answered, "But I think that sounded like-"

But before he could say anymore, two doors swung out and out stepped Connie and Sasha, soaked to the bone in their uniforms and shivering like mad.

"Tch, what did you brats do? Fall out into the snow?" Levi asked, clearly annoyed by the sight.

"I-I don't k-know, s-s-sir," Sasha muttered out, his teeth chattering like mad, "We j-just went to o-open the door and…"

"Forget about that, you guys need to get yourselves warm first or you'll get hypothermia" Armin advised, rushing back from his room with a couple towels under his arm which he handed over to the two of them. Connie pulled the towel tighter around him, his clenched hands shaking with a mix of frustration and from the icy cold. "W-When I f-find out w-who did this…" he growled out through chattering teeth.

" **If** you find out," Jean muttered, "I mean, let's face it, who on earth would have-"

Suddenly, as if by chance, loud peals of laughter could be heard from the other side of the mansion. Connie and Sasha looked at each other but their eyes widened with realisation, knowing who was behind it almost instantly…

* * *

 _AN:_

Don't forget to leave a review and follow to stay updated with the story.

This chapter did have a lot of focus on the sort of things Al does with being friendly with other people and one of his extreme ways of gaining trust.

The next chapter will have some interesting scenes with Al and another character but also some more character relationships developing.

Till next time.


	11. Shadows

**-Chapter 11 – Shadows**

Mikasa couldn't get any sleep, the bed seemed to be too soft and the duvet felt extremely heavy and warm. The fireplace kept crackling on and the moon was sitting high in the sky, lighting up the room slightly. She got out of bed, put on her jacket and boots and walked out into the corridor. It was dark and eerily quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the faint ticking of the great grandfather clock at the furthest side of the corridor. Mikasa slowly and quietly crept to the door opposite hers. After looking around her, she slowly twisted the door handle and pushed forward. It was locked.

' _Well at least you're not that reckless to keep the door unlocked...'_ Mikasa just to makes sure, she peered through the keyhole. It was brighter in the room as the moon shined out from the window and she could easily see Eren gently snoring and muttering something inaudibly as he hugged a nearby pillow tightly.

Mikasa breathed out a short sigh of relief as she quietly shut the door behind her and then quickly sauntered over to Armin's room and peered inside, only to see Armin quietly sleeping as well. Mikasa nodded as she got up. She was about to walk back to her room but suddenly heard something. She tensed up slightly and stepped to the side, her back against the wall and hiding behind a set of large curtains. She peered past to see a silhouette glide past eerily from the corridor and disappear out of sight. _'What the hell was that?'_ She thought as she sauntered over and began to tail the silhouette, making sure to remain behind cover and peak past the edge to see the silhouette move around in the mansion through the maze like corridors.

' _Just what the hell are you…'_ She thought suspiciously as she eyed the figure. She took a step forward, about to move to the cover.

 _ **THUD!**_

Mikasa froze for less than a second before sliding back into cover and crouching down. The silhouette's head turned suddenly to the noise. It stood there as minutes passed. Slowly, the figure began to move forward, it's slow and light footsteps audible enough to hear. Suddenly, there was a series of quick footsteps and the silhouette dashed off to the other side of the corridor to disappear out of sight. Suddenly, the door swung open and Dante dashed out unsteadily, and looked around wildly. He was dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of shorts and in his hands was a pillow and a gun.

"Who's there?" He called out groggily as he looked around and raised his arm, unaware that he was raising his pillow instead of his gun. After a few seconds, he realised his mistake and raised his gun instead, slowly scanning the corridor.

"...Meh...Probably nothing…" Dante grumbled as he staggered backwards into his room and slammed the door shut.

Mikasa slowly exhaled and leaned to peer around the corner. The silhouette had gone. _'Dammit. He's gone…'_ She thought as she crept to the other side of the corridor and looked around for any sign of it. _'What was that anyway?…'_ She thought but stopped until her ears picked up the sound of crackling coming from the staircase nearby. Her face creased in confusion as she slowly descended the stairs and walked to what she realised was the study.

Just as soon as she was about to enter the study, she saw someone sitting by the fireplace in armchair and reading a book. Whoever they were, they were facing away from the doorway and didn't seem to notice Mikasa at the doorway. Instantly, as quietly as she could, she walked out and went to slip into the shadows.

"You do realise it's quite rude to just walk past someone like that without even acknowledging them." Al shut his book turned around to look at Mikasa. Mikasa paused and walked back in, eying Al who was looking at her over his shoulder

"How did you know I was there?" Mikasa walked in.

Al stood up and put the book back into the shelf. "Your footsteps sound just like that of a titan…"

Mikasa stared at him, "Did you just stop me just to try and insult me?"

Al shook his head, "Oh no, I'm just noting how its bad manners to walk past someone without acknowledging them...and that your footsteps sound like that of a titan..."

"Well, I'm sorry but I have way more important things to take care of…" Mikasa retorted curtly as she tried to walk away.

"Hmm, what can be so important to do in the middle of the night, hmm? Checking up on your friends, making sure where we are so you can find the best way to get rid of us?" Al asked sarcastically.

Mikasa blinked in shock, "I never said that…."

"I know you didn't, I'm just suggesting ideas, that's all" Al smirked back at her.

"But then again I could say the same about you" Mikasa asked him.

"I couldn't get any sleep so I thought I'd read or something, it's supposed to help a person feel tired you know. Also no I'm not just sitting here trying to think of a way to get rid of you and the rest, it's the last thing I would be thinking of by the way" Al took out another book and sat back down on the armchair.

"And why wouldn't that be at the top of your priority list?" Mikasa kept on questioning Al.

"Because it's goes against the duties of a host" Al opened the book and flicked through the pages, "a host must always treat his guests with respect and should always make sure they are comfortable, provide them with the necessities to live such as food and shelter…and because, you're not so bad compared to some of my other guests..."

"Unbelievable..." Mikasa muttered to herself.

"I'd recommend you to read as well, you know," Al nodded and smiled innocently, "It's quite a relaxing hobby to put your time into. I mean, you're not the chatting type to be honest and it's fine, I don't think a person in their right mind should have a problem with that... but, let's be realistic, that shouldn't stop you from reading, right?"

Mikasa stared at him with growing resentment, "Don't you think reading is the least of your concerns? Of humanity's concern?"

"I'd disagree with that statement," Al tilted his head, "There are many benefits to reading, it's relaxing, it increases one's creativity and is very informative…"

Mikasa let out a sigh of exasperation. Al eyes narrowed and he smiled sweetly.

"Especially about Oriental culture…" he stated matter-of-factly.

Suddenly, Mikasa clenched her fists and turned to face him, "Do you enjoy this? Hmm? Pretending that you actually care and that you're _**so**_ interested in each of us."

Al looked back at his book collection and then turned to her, "No, not pretending," he smirked.

Mikasa stared at him with resentment, "You really are that naive, aren't you? Maybe it's because you live in such a privileged background, you'd have no idea what it's like to have suffered losses."

Al's smile cracked momentarily, but just enough for Mikasa to see that she had stuck a nerve

"Everyone has suffered the loss of something," Al stated flatly, "especially to those _**things**_ outside of the walls. So I'm going to pretend that nothing was said about this..."

Mikasa thought on what Al said, "So what if you lost some petty mansion or land within Wall Maria. It was probably a waste of space anyway."

Al paused momentarily and didn't look at her. He slowly got up and walked over the table in front of the window and poured himself some wine into a glass. When he spoke his voice was low and slightly trembling"...My brother was part of the Garrison, did you know that?..." He gave a small humourless chuckle, "...Well I guess not, I didn't even talk about him much… His name was Markus. Not only was he always there for me but he was one of the best. I always wanted to be like him. He was a hero. When I hear people talk about him, I was just so happy that I could say I was his little brother…But 6 years ago, he went away and was stationed elsewhere..."

"Where?..." Mikasa couldn't help but ask.

"Shinganshina," Al remarked, taking Mikasa by surprise, "Yeah...He was there when the titans broke in...And he never came back... Part of me wishes he never was in the military… At least I could have had my older brother back…"

Mikasa stayed silent for a while, contemplating on what Al had just said, "...Alright" she said quietly, "I'm sorry for saying that..."

Al lifted his hand up and shook his head, "No forget it, it's fine. Like I said, nothing was said here… but if I were you, I'd think twice before judging people like that again just because they're nobles...not all of them would take it as well as me" Al gave her a wry smile again just like that. Mikasa breathed out in annoyance but a small part of her felt relieved. "Anyway moving away from grim reminders of the past. How's Eren doing after Jay happened?" Al asked, somewhat returning to his normal self.

"He's fine after you helped him...And about that and what happened in the basement. Thank you for supporting us. I mean it." Mikasa thanked him.

"Oh it's no problem. Jay's not exactly the type of guy you would warm up to at first but give him some time to explain his reasoning behind what may seem like impractical and irrational methods… I mean, I thought about what he said for a while now… And to be fair and brutally honest... He does makes some valid points after all" Al muttered, taking a few sips of wine.

Mikasa blinked in shock, "So you're saying that you actually agree with what he said back there" Mikasa said, her voice rising.

"Well yeah. Like I said I know his behaviour with Eren was uncalled for and I couldn't agree with you more on that matter but I'm afraid what Jay said is true"

"And what evidence do you have to support him" Mikasa stared at Al, clearly annoyed.

"Look I don't want to start another argument like the one with Jay and instead I just want to explain why reasons as to why I believe he has a point..." Al quickly stated.

Mikasa paused for a moment and relaxed, "Fine. Explain."

"First of I've read your reports on all of you. I know everything from your graduation rank to your backgrounds and families. Looking through Eren's report he graduated 5th in your division of the 104th Trainee Corps whereas you came 1st."

"There's no need to repeat what Jay said. Just get straight to the point."

"As you say so. There's a whole four ranks between you two and reading through the report there's nothing on you helping him in any way. The only people who helped him that are listed in the report are Annie Leonhardt and Reiner Braun who happen to be the Female and Armoured Titan respectively. Of course I can understand no one at the time knew this apart from Annie and Reiner themselves but the fact still remains that you didn't help him even the slightest bit during the whole three years you were in training all according to the report-"

"Well actually I did help him. Of course the reports won't have had mentioned this because it was outside of training hours and the instructor wasn't present at the time. Even ask Armin, he knows, or even better ask Eren himself since you clearly rely on the reports to support all of your arguments along with Jay because none of you were there now, were you?"

"What did you help him with?" Al asked, his head giving the slightest gesture of a nod.

"...I'm sorry?" Mikasa asked, her voice rising.

Al exhaled and gave her a shrug, "I said, what did you help him with?...From what I've seen, his fighting technique is nothing like yours or on your level. This is also the most significant, important part of training, so if you didn't help him with that, then what did you do? So apologies but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you've... _assisted_...him with balancing while using his gear as this was the biggest problem on his report. In addition to this, there is also the case of how much you've helped him, but for now, I won't delve deeper into this part. Also, because I know that you deeply care about Eren, you must have discouraged him altogether from joining the military altogether and told him to throw in the towel...correct?"

Mikasa showed little if not, any change of emotion on her face, but Al noticed her gaze flicker to the floor in shame. Al nodded, knowing that type of emotion all too well, "Trust me, I know…Someone close to me tried to put me off joining and I'm guilty of discouraging someone I care about as well from signing up…" Al looked up to her and smiled, "Anyway, you said you had trouble sleeping? Read this…" He pushed a book forward on the table, "It's very intriguing...Anyway, I better get some sleep myself...See you in the morning…"

Mikasa stared after him as he strode around the corner and left, waving goodbye over his shoulder. Mikasa checked back to see if he was nearby but to her relief, no one was there in the corridor. She stepped back in the room and stared at the book, Al's advice repeating in her head. She averted her gaze to the fire illuminating the room from the fireplace, it's flames flickering and moving around. With a sigh, she sat down in the armchair, facing the fire, picked up and turned to the first page.

* * *

 ** _Outside_**

Jay adjusted his hood and dug his hands deep into his pockets as he made his way into the woods, his footsteps making a crunching sound in the snow. Jay looked over his shoulder to the Retreat which was already far off. _'Doesn't look like anyone noticed I left…'_ Jay assured himself as he eyed his surroundings. It was incredibly dark outside and it was almost silent. The sky was filled with dark clouds and there were no stars in the sky.

 _ **CRACK!**_

Jay tensed up suddenly, and his eyes scanned his surroundings quickly. It was the sound of branches cracking nearby. Jay's brow furrowed as looked around. The sound of wings flapping and an owl hooting could be heard above him. Jay exhaled and looked down

"...So you do have a habit of sneaking up on people…" Jay noted, "Well, I can't say I'm surprised, Argus…"

"Jayden…Wasn't expecting to see you here." Jay turned to see a man standing about 4 metres away from him. He was lean and tall and was cloaked. He was wearing dark boots and black trousers and the top half of his face was covered by the shade of his large hood. "Where's Alphonse?"

Jay took off his hood and shook his head, "It's just me…I needed to speak with you privately…"

Argus let out a short sigh and leaned against the tree, "You know, this isn't really how this works. I'm technically Al's informant so I deal with whatever he deems necessary. No offense..."

"...Haven't you even questioned why a 17 year old would need an informant?" Jay asked, tilting his head to the side, his face creased in slight confusion. "In everyone else's eyes, he's still a child. Behaves like one as well…"

Argus raised his gloved hands and shrugged his shoulder, "Should I have any reason to question it? I'm loyal to his family and not all 17 year olds and their friends are part of one of the most secret groups in the military." Argus then nodded to Jay, "And certainly not all 17 years olds were once serial killers... And Al's older than you as well. So in theory, a better question would be why would you **specifically** need an informant? Hmm?"

Jay stared at Argus and gave the slightest hint of a shrug as he began to tap out a quick complex rhythm with his fingers, "Shrewd as ever...Yeah well, times change and so do the rules…And this is serious…"

"Oh yeah? Try me?" Argus asked with a small smirk. He had been doing this for years now, and very little had fazed him. But he'd be lying if he said this wasn't interesting. _'Well...Let's see what Al's grumpy little friend can do…'_

"What I need you to do is to look into this person. Hans Schmidt. … I just need to find out where I can find him, nothing risky, that's it… I'll take care of the rest of it…" He asked as he pulled out a small notebook from one of his jacket's inside pockets and handed it to Argus. Argus took it cautiously and began to flick open the pages, "Sounds ominous enough…" Argus muttered but his expression slowly fell as he flicked past each of the pages, "…You certainly did a hell of a lot of research into this one in particular. He must be one nasty piece of work if you've taken a degree of interest into him. I don't see why you'd need my help though, seems like you could do it yourself in all honesty…"

"That research you're now holding took nearly two months to gather and compile. As of right now, I don't have that much time to be where he is… By the time I get round to it, he'd probably be long gone..." Jay folded his arms and looked down, kicking a small pile of snow as he did so and saying no more on the subject.

"And Al knows about this?" Argus asked, looking up at him. Jay only gave him a patient stare and Argus knew what the answer was.

"That's clearly a no then...You do realise he wouldn't like this… Not one bit…" Argus warned, looking at Jay with an eyebrow raised.

Jay breathed out as he ran a hand through his hair, his breath clouding in front of him, "I know…He doesn't seem to like most things nowadays, apart from partying, flirting and whatever noble kids do… But if my hunch is correct, then this is more serious than I thought… And I'm not going to risk doing nothing if it means the others' lives are in danger…"

Argus shut the notebook, pocketed the notebook and nodded, "Aye aye. You'll get a location in 4 days at the very most…"

"That's all I needed to hear…" Jay noted, pulling his hood so the shade covered his eyes. Argus grunted as he stepped back and looked around him just in case.

"Oh, if that was all you needed to hear, Jayden, then you wouldn't need to come to-"

Argus looked back and blinked only to realise Jay had disappeared without a word. He looked around, taken aback only to find no trace of Jay or where he went.

"...me…" He finished and let out a low whistle, "Still want to have the last laugh, hmm? Typical…" He let out a half chuckle before lowering his head and walking off.

* * *

 _AN:_

 _Hi! :)_

 _It's certainly good to add a bit of drama and mystery after all this character building. The next chapter will be more about Dante since it's about time to give the guy some attention. Don't forget to review, like and share. It would really help a lot._

 _Thanks and have a brilliant day!_


	12. Boredom

_AN:_

 _As mentioned in the previous chapter's notes this chapter is going to give some more page time to Dante._

 _Don't worry there's more as well._

 _Also don't forget to REVIEW the chapter at the end and FOLLOW to keep up to date with the story._

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Boredom**

 _ **The next day**_

 _ **THUD!**_

"Ow! Dammit!"

Dante forced his eyes open and grimaced at the pain and the taste in his mouth. _'Ugh...What the hell is that? Carpet?'_ He pushed himself up and his eyes focused as he realised that he was lying on the floor, his face inches above the carpet. _'Yeah...Like I thought...Carpet…'_ Dante sighed as he looked all around in his room. His leg was still beneath the bedsheets and he saw that his coat had fell off the stand, causing the picture of the girl to have landed in front of him. He looked at it and sighed sadly.

' _Great. Falling out of bed. I'm picking up your habits now...I guess I miss you more than I realised, gorgeous…'_ He breathed out as placed the picture back in his coat, tidied his room and quickly got dressed. Finally, he looked in the mirror, and carefully placed his fedora on at the right angle and flicked the small black feather pinned to the ribbon. Satisfied, he kicked the door open and made his way to the pantry. After making and downing his coffee, he left with a pair of biscuits in hand only to see Sasha approaching him. He broke into a massive grin and waved at her.

"Hey! You and Connie have a nice nap? Or was it a little _**chilling**_ sleeping in a large place like this?" Dante remarked cheekily only for Sasha to give him a murderous stare, not sure whether to be annoyed at the prank from last night or Dante's terrible pun. "Oh come on, it's just a little fun!" Dante raised his hands, "Listen, just get yourself some breakfast and you'll laugh it off. The pantry is on the left. You can't miss it. Help yourself!" Sasha's face dropped and without saying a word, she half-walked, half-jogged down the corridor.

Dante finished his breakfast and walked outside, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. He paced around the Retreat until he found the perfect spot. Dante sat back against a tree and sighed, his breath forming a cloud in front of his eyes. _'Perfect…'_ Dante thought as he shut his eyes and tilted his head back.

 _ **Coo! Coo!**_

Dante's left eye opened up suddenly. He slowly looked up and his scanned the branches above. Perched above was a large grey pigeon, looking around and cooing as it pecked at the branches. Dante grumbled and he forced his eyes shut only to be awoken by a series of cooing. He opened his eyes and looked up to see a small flock of pigeons looking down at him. He rubbed his temples with his fingers and closed his eyes, groaning out loud in annoyance. _'Why is it every damn morning with these damn pigeons!?'_ he thought to himself as he looked down at his feet. He knew he shouldn't do it. It could cause havoc, cause too many problems. He should just go inside and fall asleep…

"Ah, to hell with it," he mumbled to himself. He exhaled deeply and without taking his eyes of the ground, took out his gun and fired.

Levi shot up straight from his chair as soon as the first shot was fired. He grabbed for his dagger and gun from his nearby table and darted to the windows. He scanned his surroundings and stared at Dante, one hand holding a smoking pistol, the other playing around with a single bullet.

"Would you kindly explain what makes you think is a good idea to fire off shots this morning? " Levi asked flatly from his window.

"I'm tired…" Dante said as he holstered his pistol and let his head rest against the tree.

Levi stared at him for a while then he shook his head, "You're...tired?"

Suddenly, Dante rocked back and landed on the balls of his feet. He reached to his belt and whipped out two pistols and fired them towards the sky. "Yes...I'm tired… I'm tired of sitting around here while you and these stupid pigeons all are doing NOTHING! Don't get me wrong. I have a pet owl and he's majestic. These birds on the other hand are just sitting there going 'coo coo' all day. It's driving me insane how annoying and boring this morning has already been in less than 2 minutes"

Levi just stood there, staring at Dante, completely stunned. _'Just what the hell is this brat?'_ Levi blinked and was about to throw a vivid insult until there was a loud sound from next door. Just then, the window right next to him opened up and Jean poked his head past, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS EARLY!" he yelled out.

Dante looked up and grinned as he waved his pistol. "Hey, Jean, wanna join me kill these blasted birds or what?"

Jean stared at him for what felt like hours then yelled out at the top of his voice. "IS THAT REALLY NECESSARY THIS EARLY! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP, YOU IDIOT!"

Dante looked back, then to Jean and blinked. He rubbed his head with the muzzle of his gun and tilted his head, his face creased with confusion. "Why are you screaming? You're going to wake everyone else up…"

"...Wha-what?...W-wha?" Jean stammered, taken aback by his comment.

"Just...stop shouting, take a deep breath and go to sleep…" Dante shrugged, staring at him innocently.

Jean opened his mouth but no sound came out. He looked at Dante and then at Levi then shook his head angrily as he slammed the window shut. "Well...he was just a ray of sunshine…" Dante said distantly but shook his head, "Anyway, come on, it'd be fun..."

"Tch, do you have some kind of problem? What in your right mind, or whatever mind you have, will make you think that I would go out shooting stupid pigeons with you? You have the entire forest to yourself, so why are you deciding to play your stupid game here?" Levi asked as bluntly as possible, fixing him with a dull, narrow stare.

Dante stared at him blankly. He looked down at his guns, then scanned his surroundings as if he was a lost child in the middle of nowhere. ' _I can't believe I'm reasoning with a moron like him_ ' Levi thought to himself as he stared at Dante. Finally, Dante looked up and gave him a dorky half smile, "Er...ok...um...what if the answer to all 3 of those questions are, 'I really don't know?"

Levi stared at him for a moment taking in what Dante had just blurted out. He was completely speechless at Dante's clear ignorance that he even found himself questioning Erwin's past decisions and motives.

"I mean, look," Dante gave an exasperated sigh, "This might seem a little odd but it's a bit of fun so... just this once, ok, I'll probably stop in the future but, come on….just, take a gun and help me out here."

Before he could continue, Levi slammed the window shut and walked away. Dante let out a disappointed sigh and turned away, aiming his revolver 'Talk about such a grumpy geyser," Dante muttered aloud as he had a bird in his sight but stopped. He then looked back to Levi's window and a wide smile appeared on his face.

* * *

Armin groaned as he rubbed his eyes and staggered all the way to his room. He had been woken up by Jean's screaming and had rushed over to see if everything was okay. But apparently it was due to Dante's 'stupid antics' as put by Jean who grumpily tried to go to sleep, pulling a pillow over his head and refusing to listen to any reason. Nonetheless, Armin felt completely shattered as he struggled to keep his eyes awake and head for the door. ' _All I need is some proper sleep…_ ' He thought wearily to himself as his fingers curled around the door handle and he twisted it open, " _There's nothing stopping me from getting any-"_

He stopped in his tracks and stared in front of him.

Standing in front of the window was Jay, still wearing his black, blade-loaded coat and his hands clasped casually behind his back and his fingers drumming out a regular pattern. His head tilted to the side and he turned around fixing Armin with a dark collected stare, "Artlet…." he stated flatly, still staring at him.

Armin blinked, his mind still registering what was in front of him as he suppressed a shudder as cold anticipation clambered up his spine. _'What was he doing here?'_ Armin thought, his mind reeling in surprise and dread, _'How did he get in here?'_. Armin did his best to push these thoughts down and tried to think logically. "J-Jayden….w-what are you doing here?"

Jay exhaled, "After that incident in my room, Eren came to see me about it…"

Armin's blood ran cold. _'Oh God, I should have known this was going to happen...And Jay knows that I told Eren...Is he going to kill me for that!?'_ Armin tried to suppress the images of Jay executing him in various, grisly ways threatening to overwhelm his in order to try and calm himself.

"You told him about it?" Jay asked, his voice was flat and uninterested.

Armin paused. _'...I should probably tell him the truth. Who knows what could happen…'_ "Y-Yes I did…." Armin admitted nervously, "But I didn't think that he'd-"

"It doesn't matter…" Jay cut in smoothly, tilted his head and stared at him, "Yesterday evening, Jean, Sasha and Connie tried to break into my room…"

Armin blinked as he stared up at him, "Y-yes?…"

"And you tried to stop them?" Jay stated, the question sounding more like a given fact than a question.

Armin saw one of the blades stashed in his coat, glinting from the morning light. Armin stared at that and then tore his eyes away to Jay's dark intense stare. "...Uh...I'd say so...yes…well...tried, at least..."

Jay gave the slightest motion of a nod and stared at the floor, "Well...I guess I should...apologize...that threat to you was...uncalled for."

Armin blinked, looked back to the door and then to Jay. _'Just what the hell is going on?'_ Armin thought to himself as he stared at Jay's face which was masking any emotion whatsoever. "Umm...okay...but that means that the threat to the others...wasn't uncalled for?" he asked nervously.

Jay's head tilted and raised one of his eyebrows as if it was a given. Armin shook his head and got his composure together, "Uh...okay...but...if you're going to do this...why break into my room to tell me this."

Jay paused for a moment, now reverting back to that dullen abysmal stare, his face remaining perfectly still. "...Like I said…" he said slowly, "I wanted to apologise"

Armin blinked and shook his head, "No, I mean-" but then he stopped. Even he was taken aback and completely confused by what was going on. His mouth tried to move but nothing came out. In the end, he simply gave up trying to come up with a rational explanation and simply stared at Jay, his face written with confusion. Seconds had past until Jay had finally moved. He glided past Armin and without even giving him a glance, slammed the door shut.

* * *

Dante stared at the door in front of him, not moving an inch. He blinked and slowly looked around if anyone was coming. After making sure he was alone, he curled his hand into a fist and began to bang on the door.

"Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!" Dante called out loudly every time his knuckles hit the door. Soon enough, the door swung wide open and Levi was standing there, scowling more than usual.

"What the hell is it, brat!?" He seethed out as he saw Dante's goofy grin. Dante didn't say anything but held out a revolver to Levi, who just stared at it in silence. _'What do you want me to do? Shoot you with it? Because right now. It's really tempting…'_ Levi thought as he looked up at Dante, his annoying smile had gotten even wider.

"Wanna join me?" Dante smirked.

"...No…" Levi remarked curtly and swung the door. Before it could slam shut, Dante raised his hand and blocked it.

"Please?" Dante asked innocently.

"Let go of the door, idiot…" Levi growled.

"Pretty please?" Dante asked again.

"No!" Levi said louder and tried to push the door shut with all of his strength. Dante put almost all of his full strength to keep the door open. _'What the hell is with this guy? He's stronger than he looks…'_ Levi thought in mild surprise.

"I promise it'll be fun!" Dante said quickly, poking his head around the corner. Levi gritted his teeth as he pushed Dante's head back out of the door.

"Get lost!" Levi snapped as he pushed the door even harder.

"Tell you what!?" Dante blabbered on quickly, "Join me and I'll make you coffee! OK! Not a coffee person! That's fine! Tea? Hot Chocolate! Wait! I'll clean your room for yo-" Dante cried out but then Levi slammed the door shut and leaned against it. He let out a low sigh and rubbed his eyes. _'That's just what I need… This idiot goofing around…"_

Dante let out a miserably sigh and trudged off, not sure what to do next. As soon as he reached the end of the corridor, his face lit up almost instantly. _'That's it! Of course!'_ Grinning, he sprinted off to the exit.

* * *

Armin wandered into the library and marvelled at the tall shelves stacked with books lining the walls. His fingers traced over the spine of the books until he stopped on one and carefully pulled it out. Gingerly, he turned the cover and reduced into a fit of coughs as a huge amount of dust erupted from the book. _'Some of these books must be ancient...'_ Armin thought as he looked up at the books above his head, _'How many of these have lasted for so long?'_

 _ **CREAK!**_

Suddenly Armin turned and stopped dead in his tracks. There sitting by the massive glass stained window only a few metres away was Jay, sitting over an impressive polished chessboard with shiny pieces sitting on it. Jay remained as still as a statue just looking at the pieces, as if he hadn't noticed Armin the entire time. As soon as he was about to sidle away, Jay called out, still not taking his gaze from the chessboard.

"Hello, Artlet..." His voice rang out with no emotion to it, "What are you doing here?"

Armin let out a shaky breath and stood beside the bookshelf. "I-I was just taking out some books...I didn't mean to disturb you…"

"You didn't…" Jay remarked, his hands clasped beneath his chin and still staring at the chessboard. Armin opened his mouth to say something but closed it and shook his head. His eyes drifted from Jay to the chessboard and then he spoke, "So…you play chess?"

"Yes...Yes, I do…" Jay replied curtly. Armin blinked at him, his face written in confusion, "And...you're playing by yourself?"

Jay let out a low sigh, which contained the slightest hint of annoyance, "Not playing... **analysing** …" he replied. Silence had followed but Jay broke it by taking his hands away from his chin and giving a little shrug, "But if you must know, Dante's way too impatient and incompetent to play the game and Al would rather be out hunting or wrestling bears in the woods in the name of _**'sport'**_ …"

Armin stared at Jay for a while, his mind trying to take in what Jay had said. Then, with the slightest of nods, he quietly walked over and sat opposite to him.

"...What are you doing?" Jay asked, finally sitting up and looking at him, his face remaining straight but his eyes showing a tiny hint of surprise.

"Well...you don't have anyone to play against...and I'm kind of bored so...," Armin mumbled out, "Can I play?" he asked, giving Jay a faltering smile. Jay blinked as he looked at the long haired person opposite him. After exhaling, he averted his gaze the the board and clasped his hands beneath his chin, "...OK...Your move then…"

LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK

Al stood in the middle of his library, staring at the shelves filled with books. ' _Once_ filled with books," Al thought as he examined each of the books on the set of shelves in front of them. Someone had messed around with his books, messed with the order of them, others were missing altogether. Al racked his brain to what had happened, last time he check, every single book was in its place the last time he had checked. _'What happened? Who happened?'_ Al pondered in deep thought but was snapped out of it when he heard a clicking noise across from the library. Al turned his head and looked at Jay and Armin sitting down over a chess board by the window.

"Hey, have either of you…taken any books out or...seen anyone who'd taken some books out?" Al asked.

Armin blinked and shook his head. "No...I've only found this part of the mansion about 10 minutes ago…w-why?"

"Read most of them, know the gist of the rest, no point in taking any out," Jay remarked curtly as he carefully picked up the knight piece and moved it. "You sure you haven't misplaced it anywhere?"

"Yes, I'm sure, I'm very sure," Al leaned against the bookcase and crossed his arms, staring out of the glass-stained window above them, "The books have gone missing, and I hadn't touched them for months."

Armin looked down at the chess board in deep thought and then up to Al, "Are you sure you hadn't shown anyone this part of the mansion?"

"Someone could have taken them right under your very nose," Jay remarked as he sat back, finally turning his head to Al, fixing him with a dull stare.

"Oh, that's a great help-" Al began but stopped in mid-sentence, realisation sweeping over him like a wave. ' _Wait...they're right...that's it...'._ Al stood up and made his way to the door "That's it...Thanks, you two."

"Er...no...Problem..." Armin watched as Al left, wondering about what he did. "Your move," Jay stated flatly as he continued to look at the board, snapping Armin out of his trance, "...And this is getting rather interesting…"

* * *

Levi stared at the door, suspicion had begun to take over him. ' _It's been fifteen minutes and he hasn't even knocked…'_ Levi thought, _'What the hell is the moron planning'._ He reached for his gun and knife and slowly edged to the door. He twisted the doorknob slowly and opened it slightly. He pointed his gun out first before exiting his room and looked around the corridor. Everything was quiet. There was no sign of Dante anywhere. Levi's brow furrowed as he looked around. He stepped forward and there was a loud _**SQUISH!**_

Levi stood there, not even daring to breathe. Slowly, he tore his gaze down to see his boot in a small pile of wet mud on the floor. He pulled his boot out and eyed the mud pile. He slowly looked up to see a small trail of mud leading down the corridor. With his head lowered and his fists clenched, he slowly followed the trail down the maze of corridors. As he approached closer and closer, he heard the sound of whistling and he clenched his fists. _'If it's you. If it's you. If it's you…'_ He thought in pure outrage and turned the corner to see Dante. In one hand, he was carrying a spade and in the other was a bucket filled with mud. Still whistling, Dante took out a spade full of mud and then chucked it down on the floor with a wet _**SQUELCH!**_ Levi glared at him in absolute disbelief, completely speechless. Dante looked up and his expression lit up as he saw him.

"Hi there!" He beamed as he waved with the spade in his hand. "I totally didn't expect that to work at all!"

Levi stood there, staring at Dante, his expression unreadable.

"Er...Captain?" Dante asked, the smile still fixed on his face.

Suddenly, Levi blurred forward, taking Dante by mild surprise. He grabbed Dante by the collar and kicked the door down to a nearby room. He dragged Dante inside causing him to stagger back. Dante flinched as he looked to see Levi's expression of complete fury.

"That's it! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Levi screamed out, his fists trembling.

Dante let out a small chuckle and gave a shrug, "Holy crap. I knew you were a clean freak but this is insane!"

"Answer me!" Levi screamed out as he shook Dante violently

"Well, you didn't want to come outside so I thought 'Why not bring the outside to Levi'!?" Dante raised his arms, a huge grin on his face, "It's brilliant, isn't it!?"

Levi blinked, completely taken aback, "...You did this… Just to get my attention… To join you to shoot some **STUPID BIRDS!?"**

Dante nodded, "Yeah, you can totally understand! Give the man in raise!" Dante paused and his eyebrows raised, "I guess in both ways since we aren't paid much and you are quite shor-"

Dante was cut off as Levi gripped Dante tightly by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "GAK-! This was not… What I had… In mind…" Dante spluttered out at he felt the tight grip around his throat and tried to write around.

"Say that again…. Say. That. Again…" Levi shook Dante violently as he stared at him, his face full with burning anger.

"I said… it's because… you're quite… short…" Dante croaked as Levi pulled at his collar tighter and he slowly began to slide down the wall, struggling to breathe.

Finally, Levi let go, dropping Dante and causing him to collapse onto the floor, wheezing. "Well… That was… interesting…" Dante shrugged as he gasped for air and tried to get up. Levi began to walk off, not looking back.

"You really are insane. Where did you get that from? Your father or-?"

 _ **BANG!**_

Levi stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide in surprise. _'What the hell?... Did the brat just-"_ He looked over his shoulder to see Dante. His arm was dead straight and his hand was gripping a pistol. The shattered remains of a nearby vase was lying on the ground only a couple metres away from Levi and he looked from the broken pieces to Dante, completely stunned. He was staring straight ahead. His head was lowered slightly and he was trembling. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows were furrowed. Levi's face creased in surprise as he realised what had happened.

' _He's angry… He's really angry about something…'_ Levi thought as he stared at Dante, who remained where he was. Dante remained where he was for a long time, frozen in that one spot. After a while he blinked looked at the gun in his hands. He flinched and looked around wildly as he pushed himself up onto his feet.

"Oh God, I am so, so sorry!" Dante blurted out quickly as he rushed over and picked up the broken pieces of the vase in a panic. Levi blinked, completely taken aback by what was happening in front of him.

"What the hell-" Levi began was cut off when Dante looked at him, his expression that of pure shock and regret, "I'm so sorry about that. Don't worry about the mess outside, I-I'll clear that up right away!"

Before Levi could even say a single word, Dante scrambled outside out of sight leaving Levi to stand there.

"...What the hell just happened…"

END

* * *

 _AN:_

 _Any REVIEWS are much appreciated._

 _Quite a Dante focused chapter but I threw in some Jay and Armin in there as well to mix things up._

 _If you didn't realised by now Dante hates pigeons. Enough to kill the damn things._

 _Next chapter will have less Dante (if that saddens anyone I'm sorry) and will be more focused on two particular characters..._

 _Anyways til next time._


	13. Knife's Edge

_AN:_

 _I have returned._

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - Knife edge**

"Are you sure about that?" Mikasa asked, a hint of unease in her voice.

Al simply shrugged and wiped his mouth with the heel of his hand, "Why not? It's as good as a time as any."

He walked over to the table over to the table, grabbed something and tossed it over to Mikasa. She caught it in her right hand and only realised it was a knife as her hand gripped the handle. She looked up to see Al select another knife and turn to face her, adjusting his grip on the knife. "Besides… I was pretty curious about who'd win…" He added, smirking.

Mikasa didn't say anymore and raised her fists, gripping her knife tightly. Al exhaled and bent his knees slightly, adjusting his fingers on the knife handle. Al quickly leaned forward, swinging the knife in a wide arc. Mikasa ducked down, Al's knife missing her neck by inches. She quickly lunged forward, her arm outstretched and the point heading for Al's leg. Al batted her arm away just in time and swung out quickly with his other arm. Mikasa backed away from the knife, exhaled and continued to encircle Al eying him even more cautiously.

' _He's faster than I thought...'_ Mikasa thought in annoyance as she kept her eyes on Al. ' _Maybe if I can cause him to focus on his leg more, I could get an advantage'_ Mikasa slowly edged around Al, causing him to pivot more. Al kept his breathing steady and clenched his knife until his knuckles turned white. Mikasa lashed out suddenly, causing Mikasa tossed the dagger in her hand and rushed forward, sending the knife down onto Al's shoulder. Al's eyes looked up and he instinctively raised his hand and lashed out.

Al's fist connected against Mikasa's arm, knocking it back with sudden force.

He threw another punch into her shoulder sending her staggering back but still keeping her defence. Al gritted his teeth as he staggered unsteadily onto his feet as Mikasa gripped her right forearm.

"Not bad…" Al chuckled, "Not bad at all… "Al breathed out before he threw another right hook followed by a left hook, only for both to be blocked. Mikasa saw her advantage and stepped forward and swung out for Al's head. Al ducked just in time and threw an uppercut. Mikasa backed away just in time and quickly got into her stance, both of them eying each other's every move.

' _She's pretty fast so why isn't she bothering to attack more?'_ Al thought as the two of them circled one another. _'She's not completely focused on the fight. Her mind seems to be somewhere else at the same time, most likely something to do with Eren. That's something that I can use'_ Al thought in his mind, predicting what Mikasa would do next. Suddenly, he sent a left jab followed by a right hook, causing Mikasa to duck down and shuffle further back. "Now I just need to end this soon or I'm just going to tire out-" Without Al even realising Mikasa kicked out at Al's leg causing him to lose balance. Mikasa grabbed Al by the arm and threw him upwards. Al didn't have time to think before he found himself crashing right into one of the spotlights in the ceiling, breaking the glass and dislodging the stone inside. The knife was torn from his grip and was sent clattering on the floor a few metres away from him. Al landed back onto the training mats on his front, the stone dropped next to him and rolled away. "Out of all the things you could have done you just had to throw me into the ceiling," Al groaned, trying to get up but falling back down to the ground, _'... Dammit! My leg!'_

Mikasa rushed forward to Al, taking advantage over the situation. Suddenly, with his good leg, Al swept Mikasa's legs from beneath her. Mikasa grunted as her back hit the floor and she quickly rolled out of the way as Al's fist hit the training mat. Mikasa got onto her feet and raised her fists. Al soon followed suit, cursing loudly as he hit his bad leg, numbing out the pain.

"Wow, you really are merciless, aren't you?" Al chuckled despite the pain. "Just don't think I'm gonna give up that easily!"

Mikasa's gaze only narrowed as she focused on Al. Al shifted his weight onto his good leg and eyed Mikasa a lot more cautiously. Mikasa suddenly rushed forward, swinging out causing Al to duck. Al leaned back onto his good leg and spring forward, taking Mikasa completely by surprise. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pushed his weight forward, causing her to lose her balance. Both of them tumbled onto the ground. Mikasa winced in pain as she landed onto the ground. She raised her elbow and sent it crashing down onto Al's shoulder. Al ignored the pain that exploded through his shoulder as punched hard, his fist connecting with Mikasa's side. Mikasa gritted in pain, and Al got up, sending punches raining down. Mikasa raised her arms to defend herself, surprised herself by Al's constant barrage of attacks. _'Can't keep defending like this'_ She thought to herself, but before she could do anything else, Al sent a right hook and broke through her defence. Instantly, she reacted, placing a well-aimed kick into Al's ribs, sending him sprawling to the side.

Al swore as he landed on his side, his shoulder beginning to throb. He saw something glint from the corner of his eye and realised it was his knife. Without giving this a second thought, Al suddenly reached out and grasped his knife. Mikasa suddenly realised what he was going to do and she scrambled forward and lashed out just as Al swung his knife.

Al's fingers curled around Mikasa's wrist as Mikasa's hand snapped onto his. Their arms trembled violently, like an arrow of a compass. Al clenched his jaw as Mikasa bit her lower lip, their faces inches from one another. As soon as both of them realised neither of them was going to get the upper hand, their eyes drifted to each other's knives, their silver points resting against the skin of their necks. Both remained perfectly still, not daring to move an inch. Al looked down to where Mikasa was gripping his wrist. Slowly, he cleared his throat and broke the silence and he looked up at her.

"So…" Al huffed, "It's a stalemate?…"

"It's a stalemate…" Mikasa grumbled, her expression unreadable as she let go and sat down on the training matt.

Al ran a hand through his hair and grinned, shaking his head. Part of him was completely shattered. The other half was roaring with adrenaline. He looked at Mikasa who was sitting down a metre away from him and his head tilted in mild curiosity. _'She's one hell of an opponent, I'll give her that…'_ Al thought, as the dull throbbing in his leg began to return, _'Certainly more interesting than most of my guests…I was still hoping I'd win though...'_

"Where the hell did you learn to fight like that?" Al asked, "Seriously though, that was pretty incredible…"

Mikasa dropped the knife, "It just happened once, during an incident with me and Eren…"

Al nodded, _'Of course, that whole incident Eren mentioned before…'_

"Let me guess, your brother taught you how to fight?" Mikasa asked flatly.

"Just the basics you'd learn during training but it was actually my butler who taught me the rest." Al responded casually, twirling the knife around with his hand.

Mikasa stared at Al. She had to admit, she was rather stunned Al could keep up with her and even got in a few good blows, considering she was an Ackermann and even after he was thrown into the ceiling, he still managed to put up a fight. "I'll admit I wasn't expecting to hear that." She stated calmly, "Was your butler ex-military?"

"I've never actually asked much about that. All I know is that he's one hell of a butler-"

Suddenly, the sound of loud footsteps could be heard as someone made their way down the stairs towards the basement. Both turned their heads as they saw Eren climb down the stairs.

"Mikasa? You here-?" Eren called out but stopped as he saw Al. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched a little. "Oh… Hi, Alphonse…" His eyes stayed fixed on the knife still in Al's hands.

Al raised his hands and managed a smile past the pain as he got up onto his feet, "Hey there… I guess I'll leave you two to it then…." He nodded as he hobbled over to the staircase, gritting with pain every time he put his weight on his bad leg.

"You sure you'll be OK?" Mikasa asked flatly as she stood up. Al only waved his hand dismissively and continued to limp up the stairs.

"No, no, its fine," Al insisted, "I'll just… find a medical kit somewhere and patch myself up…" He added, failing to mention his slightly hurt pride as he disappeared out of sight.

"Mikasa, what was going on?" Eren asked as Al was out of earshot. "Are you hurt? Why was he holding that knife?"

"We were just sparring…" Mikasa stated flatly. Eren glanced at the numerous dark bruises on Mikasa's arms. "Did Jay go near you?" She asked, noticing Eren was looking at her arm and she hid it from view without realising.

Eren looked up at Mikasa and shook his head, "The psycho kept his distance for now…"

Mikasa nodded and a scowl emerged on her face, "He had no right to take it out on you. I don't care what other people think. That fact still remains…"

"And what, you want me to tell you if Talbot gets close, is that what you want?" Eren asked sarcastically. Mikasa only glanced at Eren and he sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

"If that's what it comes down to… Then by all means, so be it…" Mikasa stated coldly.

' _And I'm sure Alphonse will allow that to happen, especially when you give him a weapon to prove his point…'_ Eren thought bitterly as he turned away and began to walk off to the exit.

"Eren? What's wrong?" Mikasa tilted her head, a concerned expression on her face.

"It's nothing…" Eren stated, without looking back. _'It's something I need to do on my own...;'_

* * *

"Have you two got a first aid kit nearby…" Al groaned as he hobbled into the room where Dante and Jay were. Dante was fiddling with his pistols while Jay was staring down at a chessboard filled with randomly arranged pieces. Opposite him was Armin, doing the same thing.

"Meh…" Dante muttered, "Ask Jay. He should know…"

Jay grumbled under his breath and turned to Al, about to say something but stopped. His gaze settled onto Al's leg where he was limping on and widened and he stood up almost instantly. Al looked down and realised what Jay was thinking. Armin looked up at Jay in confusion and then turned his head only to realise what Jay found so shocking

"What the hell-?" Armin breathed out.

"What happened?" Jay asked quickly.

"Look, Jay. It's not what-" Al began but Jay quickly walked up to him.

"What happened?" Jay demanded, "Alphonse, just answer the question!"

"Calm down!" Al retorted, "It was a sparring accident with Mikasa! Alright!?"

"You were what?" Armin exclaimed and then he turned to Jay, "I got to see to the others, alright?"

Jay nodded and as soon as Armin left, he sighed out, rolled his eyes and shook his head and began to pace around the room in growing frustration. Dante snorted in laughter as he bit down his lip, getting Al's attention.

"What's so funny?" Al asked only for Dante to reply with a shrug of his shoulders and a moment's silence.

"What he probably finds funny," Jay interrupted, "Is how, for the son of the most powerful family in the north, you're so goddamn willing to risk your life. Either you don't care what happens to you or you are just that stupid."

Al glared at Jay, "It was **training**. Big deal…" He grumbled sarcastically.

"So you mean if I went downstairs, I wouldn't find something totally destroyed, would I?" Jay asked only to be replied by a moment's silence, "Yeah. Of course I'm right. It's what you do. So what the hell happened to your leg!?"

"Mikasa threw me into the ceiling!" Al blurted out angrily, "She… threw me into the ceiling…"

Jay's eyes widened as Dante let out a low whistle and broke into a small chuckle, "Holy crap… I mean, you're what? 81kg? And she just handed your a-"

Both Jay and Al glared at Dante. "I didn't lose if that's what you're asking," Al retorted defensively, his pride hurt, "She took me by surprise and we were still fighting until Eren showed up!"

"Oh so Mr loud, whiny and angry saved your a-"

"Shut up!" Jay growled, "Just don't! Am I the only grown up one here!? Dante, stop treating it as a joke! Al, think past your pride and consider what would have happened if Mikasa had done something worse!? What would Elias do when he finds out!?"

Al stared at Jay, his jaw clenched, "My little brother has nothing to do with this! And besides he wouldn't find out because I would have already healed because of my _**titan's ability!**_ You forgot about that!?"

Jay and Dante remained completely silent. Al blinked, slightly disturbed by the silence between the two, slowly realising what he'd just said.

"Dante, check the outside corridor and keep an eye if anyone comes…" Jay ordered quietly. Dante looked up and was about to protest but Jay gave. He sighed in annoyance as he tossed his pistols aside and went over to the door.

"How about you say that a bit louder, hmm? So everyone else can hear…" Jay remarked coldly. Al's eyes widened with realisation and he swore, "Listen… We can't… Not yet anyway…" Al mumbled.

"So when it's convenient, we're going to keep secrets, especially the fact we're both **titan-shifters**!" Jay seethed out, "I don't see that fitting in with your whole trust thing you're so obsessed with…"

"For your information, I wasn't going to hide that!" Al retorted, "This requires a bit more of a delicate approach. Something that needs _**time**_!"

"Look, I've already accepted it by now that you want to be all diplomatic and invite them round to have a pleasant tea party or whatever plan you have! But listen. _**This**_ means that you can't afford to use your healing ability. That limp and that graze on your cheek have to _**stay**_ there! That will get you killed one day! I'm not ready to risk that, are you!?"

"Then let **me** worry about it then!" Al snapped, "I know how to control my titan's abilities better than you ever could so you don't need to worry about that!"

Jay shook his head and ran his hands through his hair, "No! No! You don't get it! Your abilities have nothing to do with this! Hell, what am I saying? This has nothing to do with trust! This is just a way to pacify them! And you're deciding what to reveal and not only for your benefit! Acting on your own selfishness won't help anyone and the very second something goes wrong, it'll all crumble apart and none of this would matter. You've already done enough! So just leave it!" Jay remarked annoyed.

"Oh yeah, well, I can say the same for you!" Al remarked, "The Mangler thing! You're still doing it. It was only last year when you started killing left, right and centre. And you were done! You already found the men responsible for hunting your parents and you killed every last one of them!"

"Be careful about what you say next…Consider that as a warning!" Jay growled as he looked at Al, a part of him feeling relieved that Al got that hurt leg. _'At least it makes things easier for me if things get out of control…'_ Instantly, he pushed that thought down and instead focused on the matter at hand.

"So why are you still wearing the damn mask!? Don't tell me you actually enjoy it!?"

Dante froze as he held his breath and glanced over his shoulder to see Jay, who was giving Al a murderous stare. _'Oh crap… You really shouldn't have said that…'_ Dante braced himself as he noticed Al keep his ground and looked at him quizzically while Jay stepped forward to him.

"... Because if I hadn't continued being the Mangler, we wouldn't even be a fraction as close to the Senator as we are now…" Jay stated coldly. He opened a nearby drawer, pulled out a small case and pushed it out to Al. Al caught it as Jay began to storm past.

"Here's your damn first-aid kit…" He grumbled as he slammed the door behind him. Al shook his head and slammed his fist down onto the table, the sound echoing all around the room. "What the hell is his problem!?" Al growled out as his ran his hands through his hair and began to pace around the room, his limp becoming much less noticeable now.

"He has got a point, you know…" Dante muttered quietly but Al's head snapped to his direction.

"Don't tell me you're siding with **him!"** Al yelled in disbelief.

Dante raised his hands, "Hey! I'm not on anyone's side here! I'm just saying it's going to be a hell of a lot more difficult to try and balance these two things, you know. The more you stick your neck out for them, the more difficult things will end up…"

Al shook his head and sighed out, "Yeah right. But how about you listen to me and just think about-"

Suddenly, a series of footsteps could be heard. Dante quickly peered out and cursed beneath his breath. He stepped to the side and the door swung open, to reveal Levi standing in the doorway.

"Alphonse…" Levi muttered dully.

"Captain, is there something you need?" Al stood up straight, slightly taken aback by Levi's suddenly appearance and Dante hiding behind the door.

"You've seen Blackwood anywhere?" Levi asked as he scanned the room with his dull grey gaze.

Dante leaned past the door, his head and hands shaking and a mixture of helplessness and fear on his face. Al did his best to ignore it and focused his attention on Levi.

"Afraid I haven't…" Al tilted his head and raised his eyebrow, "What did he do this time?"

Levi slowly exhaled and gave the slightest hint of a shrug, "It doesn't matter… But about Jay and Eren. Those two stupid brats are volatile. I expect them to be on different sides of the Retreat at all times. Are we clear?

Al nodded, "We're clear. I'll keep an eye on Jay…"

Levi nodded and slammed the door shut. Dante blinked and finally breathed out, his shoulders sagging and his head lowering.

"What the hell did you do?" Al demanded, his brow furrowed in annoyance, "Honestly, what in God's name did you do to get you in trouble with the Captain?"

Dante looked up, a miserable expression on his face, "It doesn't matter…" He muttered quietly as he slowly shook his head. Al tilted his head and glared at Dante. Dante breathed out as he pulled the rim of his hat over his eyes, "Something I'm not entirely proud of… And also something I'm not willing to share…"

Al shook his head and sighed, _'So this is what happens. When you stick your neck out, the more difficult things get…'_ Al thought but kept it to himself.

"And if you excuse me…" Dante added further as he opened the door, "I'm gonna attend to potato girl, cueball and horseface…" He finally shut the door behind him. Al's face creased in confusion but he shook his head, knowing better not to question Dante. He sat down and opened the first aid kit and began to pull out the contents.

* * *

Mikasa sighed as she noticed that the fire in her room had died out, even more so that there was no more firewood. _'I guess Al would know where to get some more…'_ She thought as put her jacket on and left her room. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and wrapped her scarf around her neck as she went further down the corridor, the air getting chilly. Mikasa walked in, "I'm out of firewood and I have no idea where you keep your-" Mikasa stopped when she realised Al was half dressed. He only had his trousers and gloves on and had a towel around his neck which he was rubbing his hair with. What struck Mikasa the most were three long white scars over Al's torso, one going over his upper chest and the other two over his chiselled abdomen.

"Don't you knock? It's rude..." Al said, hanging the towel up on a peg and throwing on a shirt, the buttons done up in a lazy fashion, "Even more so that you want to fight an injured man…"

Mikasa breathed out and tilted her head, "I wasn't-"

"Relax. It was a joke…" Al admitted, raising his hands and a smile appearing on his face, "Albeit a bad one. Anyway, you said something about firewood? Didn't quite catch what you said after that."

"I'm out of firewood and I have no idea where you keep your supplies" Mikasa repeated.

"Oh here I'll show you" Al walked out of the room followed by Mikasa, making sure he had a slight limp. He led the way through the corridors towards the south side of the mansion, adequate lighting provided by a series of the shiny ore found in the Reiss Chapel and the moonlight.

"Why do you even need a place this big anyway, it just seems like a waste of space in my opinion" Mikasa remarked, looking out of each window they went past.

"But without it there would be no headquarters for the GSC. Sure we could use one of our family manors but that might put one of our families in danger should anyone who are against find out our location and attempt to destroy it. You really should think things through you know" Al explained, looking back at Mikasa, who stared back at him with her usual emotionless face. "Well off to the basement then" Al said, descending the stairs that led down to the basement. They walked past the training rooms and the workshop and Al opened the door to the supply room. The room itself was quite large with shelves lining the walls and rows of crates with all sorts of labels in the middle. "Now where is the firewood in all of this…" Al looked at each of the labels of the crates. Mikasa did the same on the other side, all the labels read pistols, rifles, gas cylinders, maps and uniforms.

"Quite the armoury you have here…" Mikasa muttered as she look through the crates. "And what's with the extra uniforms?"

"Yeah, well it's good to be prepared…" Al called out from behind her, "And the whole GSC is a growing thing so maybe Erwin would want to send in new members to join us. But if you want to wear them, I'd be more than fine with that…"

Mikasa shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes and continued to look through the crate. Then a thought had struck her."Those scars on your body," Mikasa turned her head to face Al," Where did you get them from?"

"I thought you would ask about those, "Al looked down at his chest and traced his hands over where they would be under his shirt, "I didn't get all three in one go. The first one I got while protecting someone, the second I got in a streetfight and the third on an expedition. Does that answer your question?"

"It'll suffice as an answer I guess" Mikasa answered back, tilting her head in Al's direction. "So that you were protecting someone when you got that first scar. I assume the two are close..."

Al stayed quiet, "We were. Her and I…" He muttered.

"Her and I?" Mikasa asked in mild curiosity.

"To put it simply she wasn't who I thought she was…nothing more to it really…" Al remarked quietly but shook his head, "Anyway...What's the story behind yours?"

"Oh this," Mikasa parted her hair to reveal the small scar on her cheek which had faded quite a lot, "I assume you've read the reports about the Trost-."

"I already know how you got that scar. Sure the reports didn't say anything but it's really not that hard to figure out. During the reclamation campaign of Trost I understand that Eren tried to kill you in titan form and some of the shrapnel from the debris cut your cheek thus giving you that scar."

"Then what are you talking abo-"

"The one on your right forearm."

Mikasa glanced down at her forearm and lowered her head and exhaled shakily as she moved her hand to her mouth. _'When was the last time I actually thought about them?'_ She thought miserably and in self-loathing as she thought of what had happened years ago.

"...Mikasa?" Al turned to look at her, his head tilted at an angle and concern written all over his face.

"It was a family tradition, from my mother's side of the family…" Mikasa spoke quietly, "I guess, Eren and you are now the only ones who know about that…"

Al sighed out and cursed at himself, "I'm sorry… For bringing them up… and about them… you know…"

Mikasa nodded slightly, "Yeah, don't worry… Same to you with your brother…"

"Thanks, I guess…" Al murmured to himself. He felt a lump start to form his throat and tried to fight back against the tears that was threatening to form. Quickly, he cleared his throat, trying to focus on something else. _'Maybe I should tell her? About us being titan shifters?'_. Al exhaled and closed his eyes, "Er… by the way… I've been needing to-"

"Found the firewood," Mikasa stated and Al stopped, finally deciding against his previous decision. Instead, he got up, brushed down the front of his shirt and shrugged.

"Well, there you go, mission accomplished…" Al smiled, "Don't worry about clearing up, I'll handle it myself. I insist"

Mikasa gave a reluctant nod and was about to leave until she stopped. She turned around to face him, "Oh, and Alphonse?" Mikasa added as she turned to Al who looked up at her.

"I told you before, it's Al," Al cut in smoothly, "But you were saying?"

"I didn't just come here just to ask you for firewood," Mikasa admitted. Al's eyebrows raised in surprise. He leaned back against the wall and folded his arms, "Oh really?" He asked, a smile beginning to emerge on his face as he tilted his head.

Mikasa shook her head as she stepped forward and reached into her inner jacket pocket. She pulled out a book and held it out for Al. It was the same book he had shown her the night before. Al broke into a chuckle, shook his head and took the book from her. "I was wondering where that went," He admitted as he looked at the book. "I've read that, what? Three times now?"

"I guess I should have told you that I took it," Mikasa stated, "And that you may have been right,"

Al shook his head and extended it out to her, "I insist. You can keep it for as long as you want. And you're free to take a look at whatever book there is in the library. Same for the rest of your squad as well…"

Mikasa slowly took the book back from him and held it underneath her arm, "...Thanks Al…" She nodded as she left with the firewood. Al nodded and remained there, thinking to himself.

 _ **CREAK!**_

Al's head perked up instantly. He quickly and silently, grabbed for a nearby knife and his knees bent into a crouch. Slowly, he made his way to the door, calming his breathing as he adjusted his grip on the knife. He pushed the door slowly and peered out into the corridor. It was completely dark, making it near impossible to see.

"Whoever you are… Come out…" Al ordered as he scanned his surroundings,

There was silence.

"This is your one and only warning… Come out and show yourself!"

There was nothing.

Al finally exhaled as stood up straight. _'It was probably nothing… I'm just imagining things…'_ He sighed as he tossed the knife and scabbard over his shoulder into the crate and walked out, shutting the door.

As Al was leaving, Eren crept out from the shadows and eyed Al leaving and disappearing into the dark. As quietly as he could, he sauntered inside and stopped as his eyes scanned the numerous crates. _'Now then,_ _ **Alphonse**_ _…'_ He thought bitterly, _'Now just what the hell are you planning…'_

Eren's eyes scanned the numerous stashes of weapons in the armoury. _'So this is what is lying beneath the entire place. Hmm?'_

His eyes lingered and stopped on one particular weapon. Carefully, he reached into the crate and pulled out a long sharpened dagger with an ornamented sheath. He pulled it out of its sheath and held it gently in his hands and examined the glinting blade. _'Long, sharp but small enough to hide on me...This should work…'_ He thought as he holstered it and hung it from his belt at the back of his trousers.

"What are you doing?"

Eren flinched, his blood turning icy cold. Slowly he craned his head over his shoulder and his eyes focused to see who was behind him.

* * *

 _AN_ :

 _Sorry for being so late with this chapter. Life's been sort of catching up lately and there're things that need to be attended to first._

 _Hopefully this chapter satisfies the wait and as for next chapter I can't give a guarantee as to when it will we released._

 _But I do wonder if anyone got that Black Butler reference at the beginning..._

 _As always FOLLOW to stay up to date with the story and leave a REVIEW just to keep the story going._

 _Till next time._


	14. Swords and Scales

_AN:_

 _It feels good to be back_

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - Sword and Scales**

Eren head snapped to the doorway to see Jay standing there, his head lowered and his eyes fixed on him. His black coat hung over his shoulders and his arms were behind his back and he stood as still as a statue. Eren turned to face Jay, concealing the knife from view behind his back and trying not to look so surprised.

"Well?"

"Quite an armoury you got here…" Eren stated darkly, glaring at Jay.

Jay slowly tilted his head and raised an eyebrow as he stepped towards Eren, "Tell that to Al. You haven't answered my question…"

Eren clenched his jaw as he squared his shoulders, "What's it to yo-"

"It means **everything** if you plan to do what I think you're doing…" Jay cut in as he moved forward until he was a metre away from him. "Now stop avoiding the damn question and answer it…"

Eren didn't say anything and only glared at Jay, not trying to hide any hostility whatsoever. Jay only regarded him with a patient, bored stare as he stood as straight as an arrow and wasn't even moving an inch. It didn't even seem if he was breathing. Eren exhaled and suppressed a shudder. The room felt as if the temperature had dropped like a stone. Eren glowered as he tried to look at Jay straight in his eyes, to show he wasn't threatened. But he couldn't help but feel as if he was staring at two gaping black endless voids which were fixated onto him.

"Ignorant, stupid and arrogant…" Jay noted without blinking, his expression remaining disturbingly neutral, "How disappointing…I guess I'll start with something simple...Let's see… What do you think about killing people?"

Eren's face fell as he heard Jay's comment. Jay's jaw clenched momentarily, a scowl flickering momentarily across his face and he sighed out.

"Besides.. You've **have** done it before," Jay stated calmly, "Killed people… I mean that should be pretty obvious… What I'm specifically wondering is about _**that**_ mess you and Mikasa got yourselves into..."

' _He's trying to find a weakness. He's trying to taunt me, intimidate me…'_ Eren scowled, _'Well, let him try…'_ He thought as he tilted his head at an angle and stuck his chin out, "Why the hell would you want to kno-?"

"I'm curious…" Jay stated flatly. Eren exhaled loudly, trying to find any way out of the situation or to change the subject but to no avail.

"Yeah...Course I have killed people before…" Eren grumbled after a moment's pause, not tearing his eyes away.

Jay rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, clearly unsurprised. "How?" He asked, the question sounding like more of a statement.

"I killed two people when I was 10. Stabbed both of them…" Eren continued.

"Why?" Jay asked, one eyebrow raised in growing curiosity, his head tilted at an angle. Eren blinked before talking again, his voice raised and his scowl deepened.

"Because they deserved it!" Eren blurted out angrily, "Because they were animals who deserved to die! They killed Mikasa's parent, kidnapped her and tried to kill me! So that's why we killed them! So don't you dare think I can't do the same to you too!"

Jay's eyes snapped onto Eren's direction as he heard Eren's statement, his expression unreadable, "Is that a fact?" Jay raised an eyebrow as he stood up straight and gave Eren a dark abysmal stare as he loomed over him.

"I think we both know it is…" Eren growled out, an icy edge to his voice. His hand slowly crept down to his back and was gripping the knife handle, his knuckles turning white and his jaw was clenched. _'Come on, I dare you… Try and fight back….'_ Eren thought savagely as he glared at Jay who didn't say a word. _'Yeah... That's what I thoug-'_

Eren suddenly stopped in mid-thought. His eyes widened slightly and his brow furrowed slightly as he saw Jay's reaction. Jay stood there unblinking but the corners of his mouth curled upwards slightly. Jay noticed Eren's reaction and his mouth curled ever so slightly more.

"I'm afraid, Yeager...that we don't…" Jay spoke, his voice icy cold and his head tilted slightly to the side. Eren's face creased in confusion as he noticed where Jay's arms were.

' _They're behind his back…'_ Eren realised, _'He knew what was going to happen an-'_

"I prepared for this…" Jay cut in smoothly, completely shocking Eren. He finally broke into a thin smile, his gloved hands tightening on the sword handle and the gun concealed behind his back. "Yeah, you got me...I knew that you'd find this place, that a neat little idea popped into your head, and you decided, why not grab something sharp to get the job done. You got so caught up with your little story that it took you this long to figure out that I could have slashed your neck or put a bullet in your skull all this time..."

Eren dropped his composure and stared at Jay, completely overwhelmed.

"And the reason how I knew all of this…" Jay continued, taking another step towards him, "Is that I know how think. How you act. And what you are… What can I say? Freaks of nature think alike…"

Eren swallowed and clenched his jaw, "Don't star-"

"Don't start? I honestly think we're past that. You show no remorse about what happened. You not disturbed by the fact that you could do that when you were 10. So you don't feel anything about that? You're numb to that sort of thing?"

"I never said that!" Eren snapped back but Jay interrupted him.

"So you're not so thick-skinned then… I guess it's natural, you were only a child, you must have been scared of dying, you wanted to fight for your life... I mean, I only started when I was 15, at that time I killed my first. He was a criminal, like your first one. I drowned him in a barrel, the same thing he did to his own victims. Although…I made sure to use hot oil instead of water, there was barely anything left of his face after I was done …" Jay nodded, pausing to choose his words, the silence between each of his phrases unnerving as he averted his gaze, "It was...unsettling… not because of what I did but… because of how I didn't feel anything about it… I was expecting something bad but… nothing… and the more he struggled, the greater the feeling... of absolute control… It's… rather daunting…" He turned to look at Eren. He didn't say a word and his eyes were wide with shock. Jay only shrugged and continued, his voice became lower and deadly serious. "What? You wanted your scapegoat, your monster...and you got your wish, here I am… You can't kill me because you know that if you do, the others would tear each other apart. And the same goes if I do the same thing as well. But do you know what I want you to do?" Jay asked flatly. Eren scowled at Jay, and shrugged.

"You… you expect me to give up? To hand over to you what I'm carrying?" Eren demanded only to be replied with a shake of the head from Jay.

"Just give up? No, Yeager, we're going to clash sooner or later so there's no point...I want you to get whatever you're holding right now, hell, use the entire armoury if you want to… and just _**try**_ to kill me…" He stated as he stared at Eren, his voice laced with pure venom, "Because I'm not going to kill you… I'm just going to beat you senseless until you wished I'd finish you off, that whole fight between you and me just a couple days a go, that was just a tiny, tiny glimpse of what I can do… So you should imagine what would happen if I decide not to hold back..."

Eren's blood turned cold as he stared at Jay, "You really think I can'-" Eren began, infuriated.

"I **know** you can't…" Jay growled as he glared at Eren, who was at a complete loss for words. Jay tilted his head, expecting some sort of a retort but was only greeted by silence. "...Typical…" Jay muttered as he slowly turned and walked away from Eren, who stared at him in bitter loathing, his hands trembling by his side.

"But… there is one thing…" Jay added finally as he stopped at the doorway before turning his head into Eren's direction. "...It's good to know we both agree on something… They did deserve to die… You just killed them far too quickly..." And he left without saying a word. Eren stared at the door, his fists clenched in absolute fury until his knuckles turned white. He looked down at the knife and adjusted his grip on the knife. _'Think whatever you want, freak…'_ He thought, _'After I'm done, you'll be next…'_

* * *

 **Next day**

Connie put a finger to his lips, causing Sasha to stifle her giggling as much as possible. Both of them were waiting outside Dante's door, buckets of ice-cold water in their hands, just waiting for him to open door. Connie adjusted his grip on the handle as Sasha placed more ice in her buckets. They had been outside collecting ice for over an hour and their hands were numb from the cold. But both knew that if they managed to pull this off, it would be totally worth it. _'Let's see his smug face now'_ Connie thought, grinning to himself as he held the bucket perfectly still, waiting for the door to open. They waited, seconds felt like hours, each second agonisingly slow as their hands twitched in anticipation. Suddenly the door flung open and Connie shouted out, throwing the buckets of water at the open doorway. A loud series of splashes could be heard and a loud sound of metal buckets hitting the floorboards rang out. Sasha and Connie opened their eyes and paused.

"Is...is that an...umbrella…" Sasha asked, blinking as she tilted her head and looked at the open umbrella in the doorway. But before they could utter anything else, the umbrella whirled around, soaking the two of them instantly. Both of them staggered back from the barrage of water and saw Dante toss the umbrella and look around, "Never try and beat a Blackwood at his own game. Never."

"Wha- Wha- How!?" Connie exclaimed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"A true mastermind never reveals his secrets!" Dante grinned as he made an elaborate bow, slowly backing away towards the corner of the corridor.

"You honestly think we're going to let you have the last laugh!?" Sasha demanded, giving Dante a look of pure fury.

Dante's smile grew even wider as he backed away, "Two people as stupid as you!? You won't even get near me!" He began laughing as he sprinted off. Sasha and Connie sprinted after him, almost slipping on the large puddles of water on the floor.

"Come on! We can't let him get away!" Connie yelled as he sprinted ahead. He turned around the corner to see Dante standing in the middle of the corridor, a small smirk on his face and giving them a wave. Connie then rushed forward, ready to tackle Dante to the floor. His eyes were fixed on Dante, not noticing the tripwire until it was too late. Connie tripped over, his arms flailing wildly to grab something only for him to fall face first onto the polished wooden floor. Connie groaned as his hands went to his face before Sasha fell for the same trap, causing her to fall and crash into him.

"GAH! What the hell!? Get your elbow out of my face!" Connie screamed as he tried to push Sasha away.

"I'm trying! It's your fault!" Sasha whined as she tried to get up. Dante grinned as he leant down and rubbed both of their heads roughly.

"You realise how adorable it is when two screw up. It's like two babies!" He remarked as he stepped over them. "I'll see you two later… _**Loosseeerrss!**_ " He laughed as he disappeared out of sight. He slowed his paced down after a minute of running to look back to see that no one was following him. He chuckled before whirling around only to stop in his tracks, his blood turning cold and his smile fading.

Standing in front of him was Levi.

"Oh...h-hi, Captain…" Dante gulped and blinked nervously as he saw Levi stare blankly at him. Levi only blinked as he fixed him with his signature scowl. Dante stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on Levi. Finally, Dante nodded slowly before edging slowly out of the room. As soon as Dante was about to leave, Levi called out his name, causing him to curse under his breath and look back at Levi who was now a metre away from him.

"...You alright?..." Levi asked dully, taking Dante aback.

"U-Uh… Yeah… of course… sir…." Dante added uncomfortably.

"Tch…" Levi shook his head as a scowl was fixed on his face, "Says the guy who pulled out a gun and shot something while I was in the damn room…"

Dante opened his mouth to say something but stopped. He let out an embarrassed sigh and gave a small shrug, shaking his head slightly and at a loss for words. Levi glared at him and Dante could feel himself shrink where he stood.

"Seeing that you're either too stupid or ignorant to come up with a half decent answer, let me ask you this question," Levi stated, "What the hell happened between you and your dad?"

Dante blinked in shock as he stared at Levi. Levi only let out an annoyed sigh as his eyes narrowed as he focused on Dante, his frown deepening, "What? You think I'm an idiot? It's clearly obvious. So what happened?"

Dante let out a slow sigh as looked down at the floor. He took off his fedora and smoothed down his hair, struggling to find the words. Finally, he shrugged and began to speak. "My dad...uh… Let's just say he got involved with people he shouldn't have… and me and another person very close to me almost died because of that…" Dante admitted slowly. Levi's eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "Yeah… We were only 11 at the time. So what kind of a scumbag of a dad would put his only 11 year old son and his friend at risk?"

"So… The girl in the photo? She was with you?" Levi asked, causing Dante hand to flutter instinctively towards his front pocket and he nodded. "What's her name?"

"Myra… Her name is Myra…" Dante admitted, a small genuine smile appearing on his face.

Levi nodded and he shrugged. "We all had someone in our life who we rather not mention, I should know…" He paused before sighing and stating quickly, "So just don't get into any more stupid stuff and we're good… Are we clear?"

Levi blinked in shock. Suddenly, a wide grin appeared on his face, causing Levi to almost regret saying it. _'God, he's like a child.'_ Levi thought in disbelief as he looked at Dante's overjoyed face. "Yes sir! Thank you, sir!" Dante nodded eagerly.

"Tch… Get out of my sight…" Levi shook his head and Dante almost instantly began to jog off, his grin still plastered onto his face. Levi lower his head for a second only to look up and focus on Dante. "Blackwood…" He called out, stopping Dante in his tracks.

"Yes, sir?" Dante asked uncertainly as he looked back over his shoulder, his grin faltering slightly.

Levi lowered his head in deep thought, "... Nothing… forget I said anything…"

Dante nodded slowly and blinked absently. Finally, he gave a shrug and walked down the corridor out of sight. Levi watched him leave, his brow furrowed and his jaw clenched, _'Besides… He's not the person to ask about that…"_

* * *

 _ **Days ago, after the wall incident**_

" _With all due respect Erwin, do you really expect me to agree with this bullshit!?"_

 _Erwin sighed as he smoothed his hair down as Levi slowly paced around the room. "Captain Levi, may I remind you that this is non-negotiable, something that needs to be done-"_

" _Getting me to join the Survey Corps was non-negotiable, this is different! I've followed your orders before, Erwin, but I doubt that you can assure me that what happened on the walls was justifiable for whatever cause you have in mind!" Levi retorted, struggling to keep his voice calm. "It hadn't even been an hour and I almost lost my squad three times. Once when they were fighting your secret squad, the second for that church blowing up and the third for whatever the hell that was on the wall…"_

" _I can't justify that what had happened on the wall was morally right and even I would prefer an alternative method, but considering the threat we are facing within the walls, I can tell you that it may have been necessary!"_

 _Levi breathed out as he sat down and his his head slowly, "And it involves working with Northerners? We both know what they're like, stubborn and pedantic to a fault… Well, do fill me in on whatever this threat is, why you need us to work with your secret squad made up of a clown, a pretty-boy and a psychopath…"_

 _Erwin gave a small humourless chuckle, " Well, they do whatever needs to be done…"_

 _Levi stared at Erwin, his face completely unreadable and his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and anger. Finally he breathed out, all of the anger and shock dissipating out and being replaced by a sense of weariness and annoyance. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, "Fine… Then tell me… What the hell are we involved in?"_

" _Take a look at this…" Erwin stated as he reached beneath his desk. He pulled out a thin file and pushed it out towards Levi who flicked it open and began to read over it slowly. "Oh look more bullshit..." Levi muttered in his typical manner, unimpressed by the lack of information._

" _Only in recent months have we been alerted to a potential threat beneath the walls. You had to deal with the First Interior Squad and the Rod Reiss but this is much bigger and greater than this. This group is called the Senator's Ghosts and we have reason to believe they've been operating for some time. As of yet, we have no idea about the extent of their numbers but we do know that there are three prominent members we have information on. Three men who go by the names of 'The Senator', 'The General' and 'Burkhardt'._

 _Levi flicked to the next page, disinterested, "Sounds like the Senator is the idiot in charge. The other two stooges?"_

" _The General is their tactician and leader in combat. 'Burkhardt' is mainly responsible for their finances, buying and distributing weapons, that sort…" Erwin continued, "We got a lead on a batch of weapons being transported under his name and soldiers were sent to intercept and gain more information…" He trailed off, his expression darkening as he continued on, his eyes fixed to the table. Levi blinked, looked up and noticed this. He tilted his head at an angle and raised his eyebrow, a spark of morbid curiosity finally arising._

" _Well… What happened?" Levi asked bluntly. Erwin finally looked up, his jaw slightly clenched._

" _The General happened… It was an ambush…"_

 _It only took Levi less than three seconds to piece together what Erwin was implying. He slowly closed the report and pushed it towards Erwin, sitting forward "...How many men did you lose to get this information?"_

 _Erwin sat up straight and fixed Levi with a calm, blue gaze, "...23 men… 13 from the Northern Garrison and 10 from the Survey Corps..."_

 _Levi's eyes widened slightly and his brow creased, "That many people? How come we haven't heard anything about this-" He stopped and let out a low sigh, "Because you covered it up… Of course…"_

" _If this news went out, all of humanity could plunge into chaos…" Erwin stated calmly, "And furthermore, our involvement in the North…"_

 _Levi sighed out, "What involvement? Since when have the North helped us in any way?"_

 _Erwin exhaled as he leant back in his chair and pulled at his bolo tie. "Ever since we overthrew the old government and placed Historia Reiss back to her rightful place, we had to deal with any possible outbursts or rebellions that could potentially occur. You think that what happened here was bad, the North was a lot more resistant. But instead of sending soldiers into unforeseeable odds, the Winter's Fury made sure that the threat was dealt with quickly-"_

" _Winter's Fury?" Levi stopped pacing around the room and looked at Erwin, "You don't mean the Northern Garrison Commander do you?"_

" _I'm assume you've heard the story behind the name?"_

" _Something about being some lone survivor north of Maria in a blizzard but that besides the point"_

" _As I was saying," Erwin continued, "The trio I've just introduced to you earlier today also were instrumental in doing so… No matter what way you would put it, the fact still remains that the Northern Garrison and the Golden Spear Company helped prevent more of our soldiers getting killed..."_

" _So those three killed people before…" Levi asked scornfully only to be answered with a patient stare from Erwin.. 'To stop rebellions?"_

" _Pest control…" Erwin stated, "The Winter's Fury's words, not mine about what happened in Nedlay…I'm sure you're aware of what happened there..."_

" _Of course I should know… It was the bloodiest and worst one of all of the rebellions…" Levi grunted and shook his head, rolling his eyes as he did so. "Why am not surprised the Northern Commander would take care of it like that. Just like what happened on the walls… His involvement must have been some ploy just to get more power…"_

 _Erwin gave an enigmatic smirk and lifted his hand in an open gesture, "It may have been… but if it helped our cause, then so be it…" His smirk fell as quickly as it had appeared and he went back to his deadly serious tone. "But this is why I need you and your squad to join force with the Golden Spear Company. The Northern Commander is adamant that we collaborate more closely now and honestly, they are some of the finest soldiers I have seen and we need as many of those as possible now. The new threat would bring down humanity and cause chaos. If that happens, standing up to the Titans would be a pipedream… To ensure our future, we need to do what has to be done, before the body count becomes too high…"_

 _Levi listened intently and sighed out, rubbing his eyes. He clicked his knuckles and raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think it already is… especially since you've forced us to join forces with a squad including the Mangler?"_

 _Erwin stopped completely. Levi blinked, perplexed at what had happened. Erwin leant back in his chair, his brow was furrowed and a smile was playing on his lips as he stared at Levi, his expression almost unreadable. Levi sat up and blinked, his confusion growing._

" _You think I paired you and your squad with a mere Northern rumour?" Erwin asked as he got up, his smirk growing wider as he organised the folder to put it back in the drawer. "Even I wasn't expecting you to believe something like that…I'm surprised..." Levi's eyes widened as he was about to say something but stopped dead in his tracks as realisation hit him like a punch to the stomach._

' _He doesn't even know…' Levi realised in shock, 'He doesn't even know that Jay is a killer, let alone how many people he must have killed…'_

" _Anyway… We've already wasted enough time here. You should get your squad ready to move out. You have a long journey ahead of you." Erwin continued as he nodded._

" _And where exactly are we headed for?" Levi asked._

" _To the mountains north of here. More precisely to the Winter Retreat." Erwin responded, closing the drawer and sitting back down in his chair, "I'm sure Alphonse will be more than capable to fill you in on the details regarding it."_

' _In an isolated area, far from any other area…' Levi thought of all of the possibilities, 'If things get messy, there's practically no chance of reinforcements and only those three know the area of the land well enough. We're practically sitting ducks, let alone the fact that we got a killer and his group that are accompanying us…' Levi got up and nodded, not saying anything before walking out, his mind racing with the thought of the new members of his squad._

* * *

Levi breathed out as he stormed down the corridor, his fists clenched and his arms down and rigid by his side. _'All that matters now is that I need to find Jay and get some answers. But I need to do that when the time is right…'_ Levi thought.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile**_

"Y-You remember the positions of every piece from our last game?" Armin asked in surprise as Jay quickly placed the pieces on the board, adjusting them to a very precise detail.

"Of course I would… Why wouldn't I?" Our last game was stopped just as it was getting interesting" Jay asked, looking up at Armin and gestured him to take a seat. Armin sat down and looked at the chessboard in surprise, "I also remember it's your move…" Armin snapped out of his trance and examined the board before moving his bishop.

"So… you're adopted as well?" Armin asked as Jay made his next move.

"Yep… Into another noble family like Al's… The Talbots. My father's a surgeon and taught me everything he knew... my mother's… well… my mother…" He muttered in a flat tone, as if he had to drone on about it a million times before.

"And you have a younger sibling…" Armin added, causing Jay to look up, "I've seen the picture you keep framed in your room. It's of you and another person."

"...Good observation…" Jay stated calmly after pausing. He looked down at the board, his eyes glued to Armin slowly moving his piece across the chessboard. "It was drawn by my sister, Penelope, when I came back from training…"

Armin sighed out as he rested back in his chair and inspected it, "... I don't get it… I honestly don't…"

Jay looked up and stared at Armin, his dark stare fixed on him, "You don't get what?"

Armin returned his stare, "I don't get what you're doing. Al and Dante come from a family associated with the military. You on the other hand… You're adopted into a fortunate family, you have a family which care for you deeply and you join the survey corps…"

Jay focused on the board as he placed his rook down with a loud _**CLACK!**_ "...Your point is?" He asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Armin shrugged as he shifted his bishop forward again, "My point is… Why? Compared to most of the others, you have more to lose compared to any of us-"

"Yeah because being the adopted kid in a family which can't produce a male heir really does make me fortunate, doesn't it?" Jay grumbled sarcastically, "You probably don't need to be reminded how those 'upper classes' are just cowardly, ignorant rats trapped in their bubble looking down on everyone else… This may not happen in the south but you know they can buy their way into the military..." Jay looked at the surprise that flickered across Armin's face, "Yeah, I thought so… And they have the guts to call themselves soldiers… They _**deserve**_ to be used as titan bait…"

"Is that what you think about all of them?..." Armin questioned, his curiosity growing.

Jay exhaled quickly as he looked down at the board, "No… Few of them understand… Only a handful really care… Al and Dante are two of them, I guess…"

Armin nodded slowly and looked down at the chessboard, his mind racing with questions. _'That wasn't what I was expecting at all'_ Armin thought, _'The others said he was a cold heartless monster but I don't understand… Maybe I could learn more about what happened exactly back then.'_ Armin took a deep breath and sat up,"I got something to ask you...It's… It's about what happened on the wall…"

Jay's head snapped up to Armin's direction with an erratic, quick action, causing Armin to flinch slightly. Jay let out a humourless laugh as he leaned back in his chair and smoothed his hair, "What? Didn't you hear it from your friends? From Levi and Al?" Jay demanded, an icy edge to his voice.

' _He's really annoyed by that, I got to think about what I say carefully…"_ Armin thought as he pushed down the welling source of panic inside of him and cleared his throat. "Of course I have… I just want to hear it from you…"

Jay stared at Armin for a long time. Finally, he sighed out, the anger and anticipation diffusing from his face. He shrugged and licked his lips, "Well…. What do you want to know?"

Armin breathed out, "What exactly happened, what did you do and why?"

Jay moved his hands off the table and let them rest by his side, his attention finally withdrawing from the game itself. "When Dante was leading you and the others away, we got the two of them on the wall and we found out how they were involved and what they know. But we also find out how they had information on every single one of you and your squad and in the end, they also figured out about the Mangler and were secretly armed and ready to escape. So I acted to prevent an already bad situation from becoming worse..."

Armin blinked, taken aback by how simply and flatly Jay had clearly outline what had happened. "Is… Is that it?"

Jay's frown deepened as he looked at Armin, "Yes of course… Did you want me to say anything else?"

Armin exhaled sharply, "Yes, I was. What did you do exactly to the people on the wall? How did they find out about the Mangler?"

Jay's face darkened momentarily as he glared at Armin. He rested his arms on the table and gave Armin his abysmal stare, "Are you sure… That's what you want me to answer?" He asked, his voice low and icy cold, "...Because I wouldn't be telling you this if I honestly thought this was something you truly wouldn't want to know…"

Armin stared back, not breaking eye contact with Jay and trying to suppress the chill that threatened to run up his spine and the hair that was standing on end. Instead, Armin tilted his head, trying to analyse what Jay was thinking. "Why? Do you think after what had happened to me before, you think I shouldn't know?"

Jay growled as he pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair, diverting his attention to the floor and folding his arms across his chest. _'He didn't answer…'_ Armin noted, as he felt the pieces slowly come together, _'He didn't answer because… He doesn't want to talk about it? He's ashamed of it? If that's the case, then there might be some good in him. He did try to apologise to me after the others broke into his room so that's a start...'_

"I don't know, Artlet, you tell me about why I should?" Jay grunted as he pushed his piece forward and stared at the chessboard. Armin licked his lips as he studied the board and moved the piece forward, "Because it's certainly better than not wanting to talk about it at all?". Jay only replied with a shrug but this time, was looking directly at Armin.

"Because you saw it at the time as the only possible solution while others may disagree." Armin stated, noticing how he got Jay's attention and began to continue, "And if you must have thought it had to be done, despite you thinking it was unpleasan-"

"Despite thinking it was unpleasant?" Jay asked. Armin stopped, taken aback by his question. Slowly, he dared himself to look up from the chessboard to look at the person opposite him. His eyes finally fixed on Jay. He remained perfectly still, his head tilted at an angle.

"Well, of course. You must have. It only makes sense…" Armin spoke slowly, trying to make sense of the situation but also noticing how Jay appeared to be a little provoked and on edge, making him even more uncertain of what he was saying.

"What makes you think I would say otherwise?" Jay asked, his confusion becoming greater and greater. "It doesn't make sense. How can you assume it does!?"

"Your adoptive father?" Armin blurted out, trying to convince himself that Jay wasn't trying to imply what he was fearing, "You said he was a surgeon. He saved lives! He helped people! You were raised in an orphanage. Surely they both taught you that-"

"Taught me what!?" Jay snapped "Taught me that all life is sacred? Everyone should be treated equally? Well, to his credit, he tried very hard to teach me... But the one thing from my father which really stuck in: You have a fault, a disease, an illness. You find it. You isolate it. Then you kill it. You make sure it has no chance of _**ever**_ coming back! It's no different with people. You find the scum and you eradicate them! You make sure they can't harm anyone else!"

Armin stared at Jay, completely speechless. He was about to speak but was cut off by Jay.

"And as for the orphanage? I learnt how screwed up we all are, how screwed up humanity is. We talk about fighting against the titans when we can't even sort ourselves out! It's like a cesspit with the criminals and scumbags dragging the rest of us down with them. I learnt that from h-" Jay paused and checked himself, "That's what I learnt…"

Armin's face creased in suspicion, "What? You learnt that from who?" Jay looked up and his brow furrowed, "You learnt that from what? Him? Her? Who?"

"It doesn't matter!" Jay retorted as he leaned back and studied the board, a savage tone becoming more and more evident in his voice, "It doesn't! What matters is that the people **I** kill, the people **I** put down. The absolute _ **filth**_ here! They don't deserve **any** second chance!"

"S-So you think you of all people alone can just decide who does and doesn't get a second chance!? Based one just one act? Not considering the reasons why or the repercussions after!?" Armin exclaimed in disbelief.

"That's irrelevant! I don't see anyone else having the guts to do so, especially those fat degenerates you call the upper classes or those 'elite' few known as the military police, do you!?" Jay demanded, failing to keep his voice calm. "They're all vermin. Just like the people I kill!"

"And what happens if someone thinks **you** don't deserve a second chance!? What would your family think? Your little sister!?" Armin demanded, shocked.

"My family doesn't _**need**_ to know, they won't and they never will!" Jay stated firmly, "And you really think that hasn't occurred before when people tried to kill me? It practically happens on a daily basis. But the one thing they all have in common is that they all missed and by the time I get to them, they all wished that they hadn't."

"Unbelievable…" Armin breathed out, shaking his head.

"Unbelievable!? Is that what you honestly think!? And you of all people can understand, hmm!?"

"I can, Jay! I lost my parents as well!" Armin stated.

Jay stared at Armin and sighed out. His voice was now lower and the savagery in his voice had died down a little, "Well… hypothetically... let's say someone killed your parents? Do you honestly think your parent's killers should walk away with it? From robbing you of a childhood you should have had!?" Jay asked, taking Armin aback. Armin lowered his gaze for a fraction of a second before replying defiantly.

"Of course not! But just killing them like that, I wouldn't know. I don't think one person have the right to decide for themselves." Armin stated. Jay shook his head and rolled his eyes, chuckling humourlessly, "Come on Artlet, be realistic! There's no way that you can remain on the fence with something like this! You have to make a choice on your own and when you have the chance before someone else decides for you. And the right one is the one that guarantees the safety of those around you as well as your own! You must have done it before!"

"That was a matter of survival. We were at war!" Armin argued. However, deep down, he suppressed a shudder as he remembered blowing someone's brains out to save Jean while fighting the First Interior Squad.

"Then how is what I do any different?" Jay remarked, "We have to do 'bad' things in war to ensure the safety of others. Like how I do 'bad' things to wipe all of the filth out there!"

"So it had never occurred to you _**ever**_ that you are deliberately hunting for human lives!?" Armin blurted out

"Why the hell should it!?" Jay retorted, "All of them deserving every bit of punishment and more as well as no evidence whatsoever to tie me to what happened to them!"

Armin shook his head bitterly, "Yeah, that's right. Kill them all anyway and wipe out whatever small shred of good they may have!" He saw Jay roll his eyes and open his mouth but Armin interjected, "You can't deny it! You can't just know that someone is irredeemable!"

"So the people who killed Mikasa's parents, kidnapped her and almost killed _**your best friend**_ had a shred of good in them!? Just _**think**_ of what they were planning to do with her! Think about what could have happened if Eren didn't arrive!? You think _**that**_ is redeemable!? Just think on that and try to justify it, Artlet! The only thought that had ever occurred to me is how they ruin other people's lives and no matter what I do to try and change that, they would _**always**_ get off easy. Kidnappers, human traffickers, child killers!? You honestly think they're redeemable!... I dealt with them all..." Jay leaned in closer and his voice was low, full of venom, and almost unrecognisable, slowly getting louder and louder and trembling with pure unbridled anger. "You can't even _**begin**_ to understand what I had to do. I had to dig out the bodies of dead children with my own hands… I witnessed people get tortured and killed in front of their own families… And I had to watch people suffer whilst others just _**looked**_ the other way! And when I do get to those responsible, I just do what I can... I could rip their entire organs out, I could skin each of them alive, I could drown them in the blood of their friends. Hell, I could hang their corpses outside the Military Police HQ as decorations for everyone to see but _**that still wouldn't be enough**_!" Jay finally yelled out slamming his fist down on the table, breathing heavily and full of anger. Armin stared at Jay, completely and utterly stunned and horrified as he stared at the teenager in front of him.

"...So that is what this is about!?" Armin asked, his voice was small and quiet, "You're doing this because you hate them… You hate practically everyone around you. You don't think anyone can redeemed at all. But most of all... You're just bored… you're bored and sadistic, you just want to dish out as much pain and hurt as possible and you feel you can't do that to one person. All because of how they took away your childhood. You killed those people responsible but even that wasn't enough. So you just kill more and more people-"

"Oh, enough of the psychological bullshit!" Jay scorned, "I do it to save the people we still have here and now and make sure that the threat doesn't happen again! So if you really do want to know what happened, what I did and why, well here it is. **I** recognised a threat no one else did. **I** recognised that my friend as well as yours were in danger. **I** hacked off one man's limbs, **I** shoved a maneuver gear hook into his mouth and pulled the trigger. **I** tore his entire face open. **I** stabbed the other through the heart twice. And I did that because I had to do what had to be done and if I had to, I would do it all over again!" With that Jay got up, brushed down the front of his jacket and began to storm off. "Consider yourself the winner. I need some air…" And with that he slammed the door, leaving Armin alone in the study. Armin stared at the door and then looked at the chessboard.

' _I didn't want to face it.'_ Armin reflected, his stomach turning and his blood becoming cold, _'I really didn't want to believe the others. I tried to convince myself otherwise from what I had seen earlier but they were right all along…_

 _You really are a goddamn monster…'_

* * *

 _ **Later that day**_

Eren scowled as he stormed down the corridor, his patience wearing thin as he looked all around the Retreat for Al or Jay but to no avail. _'How many rooms does this stupid place have!?'_ He thought as he was on the verge of losing his temper, _'And how long does it take just to find one of those two!?'_ He turned around the corridor, his arm brushing something as he walked past. His head craned to look over his shoulder and saw a large, colourful vase about to topple onto the ground. Before Eren could do anything else, there was a blur, causing Eren to jump back in shock as Al rushed past and caught the vase before it shattered onto the floor.

"Quite the clumsy one, aren't you?" Al breathed a sigh of relief as he carefully lifted the vase and placed the vase back where it was, making sure it was steady. Eren blinked in surprise before snapping back into the real world.

"Hey! Where the hell did you come from!?" He demanded, a mixture of confusion and shock welling up inside him. Al blinked as he raised his arm to the door only a metre away from them.

"...From the library…" Al remarked, "I always spend my evenings there… I'm sure I already said that before…' Eren just shook his head and Al just shrugged, "Well, whatever, I guess I only really told Mikasa… Anyway, I'm sorry if I scared you. It's just a reflex thing, especially if Jay's running around after Dante and beating up for his pranks, something in here's bound to break… Anyway, did you need anything? I'm just reading so… There isn't much to do anyway."

Eren was about to reply instantly but checked himself. _'Hold on a second… This is my chance to find out what he know, what he's truly after. Jay's a lunatic and Dante just acts like an idiot. But there's something about him that just bothers me. He may seem alright but he's definitely hiding something._ _ **I know it**_ _…'._ Instead, Eren cleared his throat and shrugged casually, "Yeah… I was hoping I could ask you a few things…"

Al nodded, "It's funny cos I actually have a few myself. You can ask first"

"I'm just curious...How did you even get a place like this?" Eren asked, eyeing what Al's reaction would be, "A bit big for just three guys, right?"

Al grunted in laughter, "In hindsight, maybe a little. But it's a pretty good hideaway and base for us." His face had a cheeky smirk, "It especially helps if you want to throw the biggest party possibly or if you can invite a friend or two round…"

"Quite the popular guy, hmm?" Eren remarked, uninterestedly.

"I guess you could say that. I have been known to get quite a bit of attention in the past. But as I was saying, the place was being constructed for my older brother but… after he died, my father made sure it was fully built before handing it over to me when I finished training". Al replied with a smile.

Eren sighed out, "...Must be nice having everything handed to you on a silver platter…"

Al stared at Eren, his smile faltering slightly, "I wouldn't so quick to judge. Even nobles have to earn things…" he said slowly, trying to find an appropriate reply to what Eren had said before remaining sent, the tension thick between the two of them.

"Anyway, you said you had a question" Eren remarked after a short pause, stifling the smile that threatened to form on his face, thinking that he was putting Al at unease. _'I could probably just lie and he won't even think twice about it…'_

"Oh I yeah I did…Did you access the armoury recently?" Al asked as he looked at Eren. Eren's face remained perfectly calm but did his best to stifle a shudder. _'What!? Dammit! Did Jay tell him!? No, he couldn't have. Otherwise that would cause a lot of problems for him as well as us…_ Eren cleared his throat and shook his head, "No… Why?"

Al shrugged, "I was a little...um...occupied yesterday. I was meant to lock the door but I forgot to. When I double checked the weapons, I found that some of them were missing. I'd assume I might have misplaced them, but I don't know. If you see anything, you'll tell me, right…"

Eren nodded, "Sure…" He lied, trying to digest what Al was saying. _'A little occupied? Why put it like that? You were around Mikasa, so why didn't you just say that?… Well, what matters is that he doesn't suspect a thing… And since he asked me to make sure, he wouldn't expect me to have a weapon on me…'_ He ran a hand through his hair.

"You said you had a few things to ask. What else was there?" Al carried on.

"When and how did you know that Jay was the Mangler?"

Al's face fell as he looked away, a little uncomfortable. Eren waited for Al's answer, clearly noticing how uncomfortable Al was, "Well… Last year…" Al admitted, "Long story short, me and some friends were on a wild goose chase after him. We found out who we was and we kept it to ourselves… Jay was our friend and he did save me twice, during and after the whole mess… So, I do kind of owe him one…"

' _Not so proud of that, hmm?'_ Eren noted, _'I guess you are hiding way more than you're letting on. Especially how you hid the truth of what he really is…'_ Eren nodded towards Al, "That's all I got. You?"

"Alright...um," Al paused as he tried to find the right words, "...have you… seen Mikasa anywhere?" Al asked hopefully. Eren was taken aback, his brow furrowed as he stared at Al.

"No… why?" Eren asked, suspicion rising through him as he tried to suppress every thought or reason to why Al would ask that out of the blue. Al only cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Well, to be honest…" Al admitted, "The two of us have been getting along quite well. I was hoping I could find her and try and get a rematch with her considering the last few times we would always end up drawing."

Eren lowered his gaze, his jaw clenched, _'Of course you would. Like hell you could even try and beat her…'_

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't infuriating. But honestly, I'm getting closer. I almost did beat her a couple times now…' Al's smile grew wider. Eren stopped and looked up at Al, completely taken aback.

"Yeah, you'd be surprised. She has one hell of a right hook, that's a fact but much to my surprise, she has quite a few weak points to exploit. Now I know what to do next time, she won't see it coming. Another thing that surprised me is that she did tell me about what happened before to her. You know, with the kidnapping, Trost, all of that…"

"She told you all of that!?" Eren blurted out in shock. Mikasa hadn't said a word to anyone else about the kidnapping on her own accord and she dismissed what had happened at Trost almost entirely. _'So why on earth would she tell Al that? The others fought alongside her for years and they had to find out for themselves at the trial… What did Al do to make her admit that!?'_

"Yeah, of course," Al shrugged, "I mean that's good. She's opening up to her comrades. Honesty and trust is important. We fall back on each other and depend on that. All of our actions have consequences and we have to carry out our duty until we die. That's how you follow the path of a soldier…"

Eren's face remained calm but he felt confusion rise through him, _'Wait...Why does that sound familiar… That sounded like …'_

" _I know it was my own choice to follow the path of the soldier" Reiner spoke aloud, sitting on top of the wall resting his head against his fist._

Eren paused as his eyes widened with realisation. _'...Reiner… He sounds just like Reiner! Just before…'_

" _But what I do know is that no matter what results, my actions and the consequences of my choices bring about. As a warrior, I gotta take responsibility and fulfil my duty till the bitter end"_

" _He said that just before he revealed himself to be the Armoured Titan!_ "Eren remembered.

Al tilted his head in curiosity, waiting for an answer, "So… Have you seen her?"

Eren looked up at her and only shook his head, "...No… I haven't…"

Al sighed out as his smile cracked a little and he shrugged, "Oh well…I'll guess I should find her tomorrow then…" His smile then returned, "Was there anything else?"

Eren shook his head slowly, his mind racing. Al didn't notice and continued to speak, "Well… … Where do you think I would find her? I'm thinking of heading off outside and I was hoping that I could bump into her along the way."

Eren stayed perfectly still, his blood running cold, "I… I honestly don't know… She doesn't talk to me about that…"

"Well… that's a shame…" Al shrugged, something like disappointment showing on his face.

' _...Why didn't I see it before…"_ Eren realised in horror, _'I was too preoccupied with Jay that I couldn't see it earlier. You wanted to kill her! You're trying to get close enough to kill her. That's it, isn't it!? You see her as a possible threat and the only way to deal with her is to try and stab her in the back.'_ Eren thought scornfully. _' Can't say I'm surprised. You're the kind of scumbag who always reminded me of him, of Reiner. I knew you were hiding something! Thanks for the final proof, idiot…'_

"Anyway, that's all. I guess I'll see you around!" Al grinned as he slapped Eren across the back and began to walk off, "Tomorrow's should be fun"

' _I should say so…'_ Eren thought as he watched Al leave, _'Since I'll be the one to kill you before you even try to lay a hand on her…'_

* * *

 _AN:_

 _Guess who's back!? :D_

 _Certainly an interesting chapter to write, especially Jay's and Armin's ethical argument and building up some tension between Eren and Al which would lead to some crazy scenes in the next chapter._

 _Thank you so much for staying with the story despite it being on hiatus for a lot longer than expected (so sorry about that). Writing after a long break really doesn't help at all. Still, it really does mean a lot and it's truly impressive and great to see all of the comments, follows and likes from those who enjoy the story. It really does show that the story is going in the right direction._

 _Again, thank you so much and until the next chapter!_


	15. Down the Drain

**Chapter 15 - Down the Drain**

The arrow whizzed through the air, whistling as it travelled towards a pigeon sitting in the tallest branch. There was a pause before the sound of snow crunching could be heard as the pigeon fell. Sasha raised her hands and whooped with joy as she sprinted off to retrieve it. _'Great! Scare all the other animals away… brilliant job…'_ Al thought as Sasha sprinted off and returned holding the dead bird.

"Look at the size of this!" Sasha marvelled as she held up the pigeon, "This is huge-"

Al raised his hand, gesturing her to keep quiet. He was crouched on the ground examining the trail left in the crisp white snow. "Look… Deer tracks… must be close by as well…" Sasha's eyes widened as she darted to where Al was and peered over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as a huge smile appeared on her face.

"You're right! And it must be huge! Think about how that's going to taste!" She beamed, her mouth beginning to water. Al's face creased as he glanced up at her and then shook his head as he got up and brushed down his knees.

"Yeah whatever. Just quit drooling and let's catch this thing first…" Al remarked as he followed the tracks close behind. They followed the trail for a couple minutes, their boots crunching in the snow. Sasha examined Al's weapons closely before looking at her own bow which was already worn out.

"Nice bow…" Sasha remarked as she glanced at Al's bow slung over his shoulder, "Where'd you get it?"

A smirk appeared on Al's face as he unslung his bow and held it out proudly, "Made it myself a couple months ago. It's not as good as my first one at home but it certainly does the job rather well… Hunted God knows how many animals with this…"

Sasha shrugged as she looked around her, paying close attention to her surroundings, "...Impressive…" she muttered, "Although I bet I can do far better…"

Al snorted as he glanced at her, his smirk getting wider, "Really? With that sorry excuse of a bow?"

Sasha turned around and lowered her bow, glaring at him, "Yes… Of course I can…Any day of the week!" She remarked defensively.

Al simply shrugged and his smile turned into a grin, "... The others said you have one hell of a stomach so you probably wouldn't mind when I make you eat those words…" Al tried to stifle his laughter as Sasha whirled around to him, her face red with anger. "What? I'm just saying! A hunter is only as good as his bow and… well…" He raised his weapon and looked between his and her bow, "I guess we know what the conclusion is…"

"As if you know!" Sasha retorted, clearly insulted "I grew up in Dauper! Hunting was our speciality! It was my **life**! As if you could talk to me about being the better hunter!"

Al chuckled as he shook his head, "Well, screaming your head off isn't proving your point now, is it?" Sasha was about to yell back but stopped. Finally, she lowered her head and frowned, her face red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

Al grinned even more as he sighed out, his breath turning cloudy in front of his eyes, "Okay how about this. Next time we do this, we're going to see who the better hunter is. If you win, I'll give you this bow and I will take back everything I have said." Sasha grinned and was about to reply until Al cut her off, "But I win…" He paused as he looked upwards as he thought briefly for the perfect punishment, "... You're not allowed to set foot in the pantry for two days…"

Sasha's eyes widened so much that Al thought that they would pop out of their sockets. "What?" Al shrugged, trying so hard to stop himself from laughing at Sasha's reaction, "Some hunters were forced to go on weeks without catching anything… Not that you should be worried about that, I'm sure…"

Sasha snapped out of her horrified trance and shook her head. Almost instantly, a determined expression was fixed on her face as she nodded, "Done! That bow will be mine!"

Al chuckled as he was about to reply when the sound of branches snapping could be heard far away. Both of them stopped, glancing at each other before looking to where the noise came from. Almost instantly, they sauntered off as quickly and as quietly as they could to where the noise is until they hid behind a large, fallen tree trunk. They both peered over the top to see a large deer feeding just over 14 metres away. Sasha slowly sat herself down as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and slotted it onto her bow, "Well… I guess this is practice then…" She muttered, "Care to show me how you're the so-called better hunter?"

"Oh, just watch and learn… watch and learn" Al grinned as he pulled back the string and aimed steadily at the deer's head. He exhaled slowly before steadying his aim and letting go, the arrow sent whizzing towards the animal.

* * *

 _ **BANG!**_

A loud gunshot rang out as the bullet hit the target. Eren exhaled as he steadied his aim and continued to fire, metallic sounds ringing in the air as the bullets hit their targets. Mikasa sighed out as she continued to read her book. As the final bullet hit its target, Mikasa finally gave up and shut the book, staring at Eren. "Eren… What is it?"

Eren tossed the gun aside into a nearby chair and sighed out, "We both know what I'm annoyed about". Mikasa blinked before shaking her head. "You mean with Jay?"

"No not him. It's Al." Eren exhaled and scowled as he looked out, his eyes settling on a pair of footprints in the snow trailing towards the forest. Al and Sasha had left hours ago to go hunting with a pair of bows and quivers full of arrows. He had considered carrying out his plan earlier but this had provided the perfect opportunity to plant what he had made and leave to prepare the rest of his plan. _'Besides… Al doesn't seem to be targeting Sasha… Mikasa seems like the only person he's planning to kill…'_ He assured himself as he continued to stare at the forest.

"Whatever this grudge or whatever you have with Al…" Mikasa replied calmly, "Maybe you should just let this go…" Eren whirled around and stared at Mikasa, disbelief written all over his face as he looked at her. He shook his head as he took a step back.

"Are you serious?" Eren demanded, "Have you actually forgotten about how just over a week ago, you two could have killed each other!? I mean, how could you even overlook something like that!? Why is Al so different?" Mikasa exhaled as she closed her book and looked up at Eren.

"He's someone close to him…" Mikasa remarked, causing Eren to shrug.

""So? We've all lost people. People we cared about. What makes him so differen-" Eren retorted, a mixture of confusion and annoyance in his voice but was interrupted by Mikasa.

"Al lost his brother in Shinganshina," She stated, causing Eren to stop dead in his tracks. He blinked and his mouth opened in shock as he heard her say the name. He shook his head as his face creased, trying to get his head around what Mikasa had said.

"Wait…So back then…when the titans broke in… and Mo-" Eren stopped himself, trying to force down the memory of what had happened, "H-His brother...was there?"

Mikasa nodded, "His older brother. He was part of the Garrison, evacuating everyone out of the area and he got killed…I mean, we might have even seen him when we were getting out of Shinganshina… In that sense… He may not be so different to us..."

Eren shook his head as he tried to get his head around what Mikasa had said, "N-No…He had to be there! He had to see the titans to even try to understand what it was like then…We saw Mom get eaten with our own eyes! Al's brother died while Al was just sitting up in his mansion as if nothing was happening!"

Mikasa sighed out and shrugged, "Then why would he choose to join the Survey Corps? If that was the case, wouldn't you think he'd prefer to be a part of the Garrison or even the Military Police?"

"I-I don't know!" Eren retorted, "How could I? Look… But… Does that even matter now!?"

Mikasa gave Eren a patient stare as she stood up straight, "More than ever…We need to know we can trust them… After Reiner and Bertolt…" Her face curled with disgust as she said those names and continued, "We can't afford to let our guard down but we also need their help if the threat is as bad as the others say…Don't get me started with Jay, I don't trust him for one second… But Al's the only one who can keep him under control…we saw for ourselves…And that is how I know we can rely on him…"

Eren stared at Mikasa, completely stunned. He tried to say something but nothing came out. Mikasa lowered her head before walking away, "I need to put this book back…" She muttered before heading back into the Retreat and closing the door behind her, leaving Eren completely alone and silent.

' _No way… No way….Mikasa actually seems to genuinely trust Al now. He had actually gotten to her. He's gone further than I thought he would….'_ He then paused, _'But if what she said was true… Then does that really make him like us?'_ Eren thought as he looked down at the knife concealed beneath his coat.

' _So...should I really stick to the plan?'_

* * *

 _ **KNOCK! KNOCK!**_

Armin looked up from his desk. He sighed out as he brushed down his clothes and rubbed his eyes. _'Great… Probably Eren just ranting on about how he doesn't trust the others… Or Dante and the others goofing off…'_ He grasped the door handle and twisted it, opening the door. He looked up ahead and froze. Standing at the door was Jay, standing as still as a statue and fixing him with a dark stare. Armin stared back in anticipation, not sure what to expect next. Jay blinked before averting his gaze for a brief second and opening his mouth to say something.

"...Hi…" Jay stated after a long pause, followed by a long period of silence.

"...Er… Hi?" Armin answered, looking around the corridor, wondering if anyone was nearby. "Erm… What is it?" He asked uncertainly

Jay exhaled before looking towards the floor, "Let's just say… in hindsight… I wasn't a big fan of how we left our last conversation… The game as well…"

Armin blinked before shrugging, "Well… you did say the reason you kill is because you think that a surprisingly large amount of people deserve to die and no one else is able doing the job… but… It's nothing I haven't heard before…" He thought, thinking about Eren and his usual outbursts. _'God only knows how many messes that got Eren into…'_ Armin thought as he remembered his usual fights with Mikasa and the courtroom incident, "...But didn't you say you forfeit, leaving me as the winner…"

Jay exhaled before remarking flatly, "That I did… I also thought back to that and realised that I had an advantage by 7 moves that I could have exploited…". Armin nodded slowly before Jay continued slowly, "Also because… You're the only one in a long time who actually plays chess with me… Either you're patient or tolerant enough or you're the only one who knows how to play…" Jay admitted, clearly uncomfortable.

Armin's eyebrows raised in mild surprise, "Oh… So Al and Dante don't-"

"Al sees entertainment in flirting with any beautiful woman he sees, drinking and wrestling bears in the middle of the woods, while Dante has the attention span of a pigeon and wants to prank everything with a pulse… That leaves only me..." Jay remarked hesitantly, taking Armin by surprise.

' _Well… that was rather quick off the tongue…'_ Armin thought for a moment, "...Did you just admit you play chess with yourself?"

Jay blinked before thinking again, "...Yes… I… Do that a lot..." He muttered awkwardly, "Honestly… None of the others really play…"

Armin nodded slowly, trying to figure what to say next. _'Seeing how awkward it is for him, he might actually be genuinely sorry…"_. He blinked before clearing his throat, "Okay… Give me a couple minutes?"

Jay blinked in surprise before answering, "...Sure…" He replied before gliding off down the corridor towards the study, not looking back at all.

LINE BREAK

Jay walked into the library with the chessboard under his arm. _'… That went...well?'_ He thought uncertainly to himself as he approached the table and set down the chessboard and began to arrange the pieces out.

 _ **RRIIIPPP!**_

"Crap!" A voice suddenly called out, causing Jay to stop and look up as he heard the sound of cursing and tape being ripped. Slowly, he began to walk forward closer to where the voice came from. _'What the hell?...'_ He thought as he turned around the corner and saw a pair of legs sticking out from beneath the shelves. They kicked out in annoyance as banging could be heard from beneath the shelves, followed by even more cursing. Jay exhaled in annoyance as he stormed up to them, grabbed them by the ankles and hauled. Out from beneath the shelves slid Dante, his hands bound together by tape and rope.

"Oh… hi…" Dante gave a faltering smile as he tried as best as he could to wave his hands which were bound together. "Um… sorry could you… uh…"

Jay leaned down and grabbed him by the lapels, hauling him roughly onto his feet. Jay also picked up Dante's hat, which he took and placed at an angle on his head. Dante grinned as he looked at Jay who was frowning at him. Dante tilted his head to the side as his grin cracked slightly, "...What?" He asked, through his smile.

"You're actually going to make me ask, aren't you?" Jay muttered as his frown deepened into a scowl. Dante looked away momentarily before giving him a helpless shrug. "Er… I don't-"

"What are you doing?" Jay asked in annoyance, causing Dante's face to drop in realisation.

"Oh… just testing a trap… Why?" He asked, his grin broadening. Jay exhaled as he rubbed his eyes. "Look… It's not what you think…" Dante continued, causing Jay to look up at him wearily, "It's for Peter!"

Jay remained perfectly still, staring at Dante. He blinked as he looked at him and tilted his head, "Who the hell is Peter?" He asked quickly.

"Oh! Peter the pigeon!" Dante remarked cheerfully, causing Jay's face to drop completely, "It's a pigeon that I keep seeing every day!"

"...Are you serious?" Jay asked quietly, wide eyed and completely stunned, his mouth hanging open in shock.

Dante nodded his head, "Absolutely! It just keeps appearing everywhere! When we were fighting Levi's squad, it was there! When I was shooting outside the manor in the morning, It was ther-"

"No! Dante! Are you insane!?" Jay interrupted him, completely taking him aback, "... Actually… Don't even bother trying to answer that… You'd probably find a way to come up with an 'ingenious' answer…" He muttered sarcastically.

"Oh thank you!" Dante beamed but his face creased as he thought about what Jay said, "... I think…" He then shook his head and continued, "But what I'm thinking of is the name of the pigeon doesn't really stick… So… Do you wanna help me?" He smiled.

Jay stared at Dante, his expression unreadable. _'Every time… Every goddamn time…'_ He thought but shook lowered his head. "...Get out… J-Just get the hell out…" Jay ordered wearily, glancing up towards Dante. Dante nodded slowly before looking down.

"OK sure... But first could you just-" He began hopefully as he raised his bound hands together towards Jay but noticed his scowl, "Nope, well, that's fine…" He shrugged as he headed his way out of the library, dragging all of his items with him. "Just think of that name for me, thanks!" He called out before the door slammed shut and Jay sighed loudly. Finally, he trudged back to his chessboard and finished arranging the pieces. He silently sat down in the chair and looked at the place opposite him. Seconds had passed. His brow furrowed as his mind began to tick. _'Something's...off…'_ He thought as he glanced around him and then at the opposite king. He stared at it long and hard before exhaling and his jaw tightening. _'...It's you, isn't it… You have something to say…' Jay looked around before leaning back in his chair and calling out._

 _Jay suddenly slammed his fist down and stared all around him. "Come on out! I know you're there! You wanted to talk, now talk!" Jay called out loud, looking around to see him. But there was no sight or sound from him. Finally he sighed out and clicked his knuckles. 'Fine… I guess that's how it's going to be…' moving his pawn two places in front of him._

" _He bothers you… Hell, they all do…"_

 _Jay looked up at the pieces to see the Mangler, his scratched, metal mask clamped over his face and his elbows resting on the table. He was wearing the exact same uniform as Jay but his front was splattered with blood, some of it pooling beneath the table. Without taking his gaze of Jay, he picked up a pawn and moved it forward. Jay sighed out in annoyance as he shook his head, moving his piece forward as well._

" _Dante's always been like that. We both know that. He's not a bad guy. Anything but-"_

" _I wasn't talking about Blackwood…" The Mangler stated, "I was talking about Artlet. Yeager. Ackermann, all of_ _ **them**_ _..."_

" _That's their job. That's what makes them who they are…" Jay muttered, "You're bothering me right now-"_

" _Don't give me that!" The Mangler retorted sternly, his fists clenching on the table. "You've been shutting me out for far too long. There is something wrong!"_

 _Jay exhaled as he gave him a half hearted shrug. "Oh, if I had a diamond every time that has been said…" Jay remarked, "Of course there is something wrong. Everything is damn wrong. The titans! The walls! Humans! The two of us!_ _ **Especially**_ _the two of us! The list goes on a-"_

" _And on and on and on! Yeah, you told_ _ **me**_ _…" The Mangler muttered before pushing another piece forward, "Hell! The fact that you're having a conversation and playing chess with your 'other self' inside your head despite how many people could be seeing this just shows how crazy you are! But you should also take note that's something I don't give a single shit about that. The others may whine and complain about how cruel the world is. I just want to make sure we're crueller..."_

 _Jay nodded curtly, "The only viable option…" He grumbled in agreement_

 _The Mangler's hands shot out, grasping Jay by his collar. Jay's face remained perfectly calm as he slowly clenched his jaw. He exhaled as he reached up and prised his hands away before, moving his piece forward and taking his bishop. "... Tell me… Do you still believe that now… Look me in the eyes and tell me that you still believe that wholeheartedly, even at this very second" The Mangler sneered before adjusting his pieces._

" _Of course I do..." Jay grumbled before pushing his pieces forward, "...Nothing has changed… And it never will..."_

 _The Mangler tilted his head before moving his piece, taking Jay's pawn, "Then why did you apologise? Why say sorry for speaking out the truth? You had never done it before… There's something else, isn't there… That incident on the walls… You can't stop thinking about it, can you? Why? W-"_

 _Jay pushed his rook forward and looked at the Mangler, giving him an abysmal stare, "I never apologised for what I said. I simply apologised for the timing and how easily I lost my temper… It seemed reasonable at the time and it still does. And as for the incident, I thinking about all of the potential consequences that have and may have occurred if I have picked alternative options, all of them far worse than our current situation..."_

 _The Mangler leaned forward, studying Jay's face in close detail. Jay looked up and glared back, the silence thick and heavy between the two of them. Finally he leaned back in his chair and shrugged as he casually shifted his piece, "... Fine… I'll take your word for it… You've certainly delivered, especially when it came to protecting your friends and family… And more importantly ourselves"_

 _Jay stayed silent as he moved his piece forward, exhaling through his nose as he moved his piece forward._

" _...Or managing to eliminate every opportunity of being discovered by anyone who could jeopardise us. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that your friends didn't rat us out when they had a chance..." The Mangler noted._

" _Loyalty is a two way thing… In order in increase our chances of staying relatively safe, we need to give them a reason to. I chose to stand by them and give them support when needed. It's-" Jay remarked._

" _Something they want from Jayden Talbot?" The Mangler let out a humourless chuckle. Jay looked up and stared at him, his face showing nothing. "It's what they deserve… More than anyone else I can think of…" Jay retorted coldly._

 _The Mangler rolled his shoulders, "And humanity needs me around. They just don't have to know about it, that should be more important…" He remarked. Jay grunted and shook his head in mock disbelief. The Mangler got out of his feet and leant over the chessboard, his hands balled into tight fists as the leant against the table._

" _Why even try to deny it!?_ _ **I**_ _am the greatest asset any soldier can have._ _ **Your mind**_ _has the greatest capacity and ability to contain and utilise said asset! Our motives may be different according to whatever the hell you want to believe but the outcome is the same as always. You need me and I will always need you. And humanity_ _ **needs us**_ _...But you can't let any emotion or self-doubt get in the way! Hell, even the others are going to bring us down as well! We can't afford that!"_

" _Who said I was experiencing that?" Jay remarked, "And besides, I think there might be someone else who could be able to-"_

" _Enough!" The Mangler set his piece forward loudly, "What is your fixation with_ _ **her**_ _? She's gone. She left your life! It's done. And soon the others may follow. Al? Dante? Whether if it's their choice or not, they will leave. But I won't! I will always be here for you...by your side till the very second you drop... Have you forgotten all about that?"_

" _...Of course I haven't…" Jay replied after a short pause, "You're always there to remind me…"_

 _The Mangler let out a dry chuckle, "That's only scratching the surface. I am and always will be a part of you, Jay. I am everything you wanted to be when you were little. Strong, ruthless, someone who knows what needs to be done… And in the long run, it's the best for the both of us…No matter what the others say or think, you'll be doing the right thing in the end… Because we work together and that's how it'll stay that way…"_

 _Jay shrugged as he moved his piece forward, "That's comforting… But that's how it'll be… especially with the whole Senator thing we got in our hands…"_

" _All the more reason why we have to stick together no matter what…". The Mangler noted before pausing to think. He eyed Jay from the table and asked casually "...And if nothing has changed… What do we do to people who stand in our way?" He asked placing a piece forward._

" _Dismember them…" Jay answered instantly, making his move._

" _Kidnappers?" The Mangler pried as he made another move, giving Jay the opportunity to take his piece_

" _Bludgeon them all until nothing's left…" Jay muttered automatically, taking the Mangler's chess piece away._

" _Human traffickers?" The Mangler couldn't help but smirk, clearly enjoying the moment as he pushed another piece forward, ripe for the taking_

" _Gut them and feed them to the dogs…" Jay replied, his voice beginning to fill with venom as he took another piece._

" _Child killers-" The Mangler began as he shifted his piece only slightly before Jay reached out and prised it from his grip._

" _Skin them alive and hang them all for everyone to see…" Jay growled as he moved forward and took his rook._

" _After all, we done it all before, haven't we... and the truth is-" The Mangler continued as he pushed a chess piece forward._

" _We'd do it all again in a heartbeat…" Jay cut in smoothly, looking up at the Mangler as he moved his piece in place, finishing his move. Jay finished. The Mangler stared at Jay, completely silent before beginning to laugh slowly._

" _That's the Jay I know…" He grinned as he selected his queen piece carefully with a gloved hand, "So… We're on the same page?"_

 _Jay looked down at the chessboard and exhaled sharply. He held his queen piece and looked up to give the Mangler a nod, "Always…" He remarked as they both made their move at the same time, slamming their pieces down at the same time._

* * *

"Jay?"

Jay looked up quickly to see Armin at the doorway, watching him in a mixture of surprise and intrigue. "So you weren't kidding with the whole playing with yourself thing?"

Jay looked down at the chessboard to see all of the pieces had been moved. _'Dammit… Again?"_ He thought as he licked his dry lips and nodded, "Yeah...J-Just a little habit… I was waiting…"

Armin walked up to the board and examined it in detail, "So… in the three to four minutes it took me to get here… You made...what? About 29 moves in total?""

"...31..." Jay muttered distantly, looking at the board. _'He's right…'_ Jay thought, _'I made that many calculated moves in less than 5 minutes… Something's wrong… Something's very wrong…'_

"So…" Armin began, trying to get Jay's attention, "Can I interrupt your game?"

Jay blinked before looking to him, "Oh… sure…" He replied quickly as he rearranged the pieces back into position. Armin glanced at Jay before taking a seat and opposite him. "Quite a careless opponent, don't you think?" Armin noted before moving his piece forward. Jay looked up and tilted his head in curiosity. Armin glanced upwards to see his reaction only to look down at the board. "I mean, you took quite a few pieces, there must have been something wrong… correct?"

"He wanted that all along…" Jay remarked. "He doesn't care, he'd use any piece for bait…"

Armin glanced upwards before looking down, "You don't seem to… You reserve most of your pieces… Well, at least until the last couple of moves I saw…"

Jay paused before moving his piece forward, "...I… um… guess you could say we came to an understanding…"

Armin's face creased in confusion as he moved his piece, "...Why… do you say 'he'?..." He asked, curiosity overwhelming him, "You're playing yourself… Why say 'he'?"

Jay glanced upwards uncomfortably before clearing his throat. He pushed his piece forward and Armin's eyes widened as he examined Jay's move. _'That shook him… He'd never make a careless move like that. Something about that really took him off guard…'_ He exhaled slowly before moving his knight and taking his pawn.

"I should say sorry…" Jay muttered quietly, clearly uncomfortable as he studied the board, "How I said what I said… may have been unnecessary…"

"I've gotten used to it by now…" Armin shrugged as he looked down at the chessboard, "I mean, with Eren practically all the time…"

"I should know…" Jay grumbled out loud as he finally moved his piece forward, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Yesterday, I heard him mumbling about seeing Al almost constantly yesterday…" Armin continued as he moved his piece forward. Jay only nodded slightly before moving his chess piece.

"Also something about the armoury…"

Jay froze almost instantly, his blood running cold as his mind tried to register what had happened.

"What did you say?" Jay breathed out, his eyes fixed on Armin and his brain trying to register what Armin had said. "Say that again in those exact words…" Armin looked up and was about to reply but noticed Jay's reaction. He felt shivers up his spine as a sense of unease filled him completely

"I-I said I heard him mumbling… about seeing Al almost constantly… Yesterday..." Armin stammered nervously. "And… something about the...armoury?"

Jay exhaled as he leaned back in his chair, a mortified expression fixed on his face as it hit him like a tidal wave, the pieces finally fitting together. _'I got it wrong… I completely got it wrong… It wasn't me he was focusing on, it was Al! And he was in the armoury… He got something from there and he's… We need to find them!'._ Instantly, Jay sprung up from his chair and pulled on his coat. "Armin. We have to find both of them!" He called out as he sprinted towards the door.

"Wha- Jay! Wait!" Armin called out as he got up onto his feet and ran after Jay who was already running through the corridor. "What's going on!?"

"Eren got a weapon from the armoury! He's going to kill Al!" Jay yelled out, not looking back as he looked around wildly. Armin's eyes widened in shock as he tore after Jay. Jay sprinted through the corridor as kicked down the door leading to Al's room and looked around. He clenched his jaw as he saw a note neatly folded on the table in front of him. He rushed over and picked it up, his eyes darting over the writing. As soon as Armin arrived, Jay swore out loud and ran out past him towards the study. He thundered down the hallway and barged through the door, staggering into the study and looking around the room. "AL!" He called out as he looked around the room, panic written on his face.

"He's not here…" Jay's head snapped to the direction to where the voice came from. Standing near the window was Mikasa, turning away from one of the shelves.

"Have you seen him? Or heard where he was going? Eren as well?" Jay demanded as he looked at Mikasa. Mikasa's face darkened as Jay mentioned Eren's name and she began to storm up to him, her hands bawled into fists.

"Why the hell should I tell you?" She growled, a scowl fixed on her face "Hell, I should probably kill you for what you did to Eren!"

Jay let out a humourless chuckle as he shook his head, "Of bloody course… As much as I want to discuss that, we really can't. This is urgent! Al and Eren, they're-"

"You could have killed him! And I also know about the mess you got into with Armin!" Mikasa snapped angrily, causing Jay to lose his temper.

"Well, the thing with Armin is that he will always be _**far**_ smarter and more competent than your dipshit brother considering what he's going to do." Jay remarked icily, infuriating Mikasa greatly," So please stop being so goddamn blind about your precious little Eren and just-"

"Eren's trying to kill Al!" Armin exclaimed from the doorway breathlessly. Mikasa turned to Armin, frozen on the spot as she heard him. _'Eren… trying to kill Al?'_ She thought in disbelief, _'He wouldn't. He can't be. Right?'_. She shook her head, staring at Armin and hoping he was wrong. "Armin? Eren wouldn't… W-We know him. He wouldn't do something like that! He w-"

"He would…" Jay cut in, the hostile edge in his voice had died down a little "He got weapons from the armoury. And I saw him and I knew that he sure as hell wasn't going to stop."

Mikasa shook her head, the worry beginning to show on her face, her mind flashing back to the time she was in the armoury and how the door was left unlocked. "No way. Jay, he-"

"Jay's right…" Armin noted, glancing between the two of them, feeling rotten on the inside, "Look, I don't want to admit it either but we both know him better than anyone else. That's just who Eren is. He just runs off towards danger looking for a fight."

Mikasa stared at Armin, completely stunned. She looked at him for anything to say otherwise but failed. She was about to reply until Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a note, holding it out to her. "Listen…Just... Did you write this to Al?" Jay asked steadily. Mikasa glanced from Jay to the note in his hands and read through. Her blood turned cold as her face fell with shock. She looked up to Jay and slowly said, "This is Eren's handwriting…"

Jay exhaled and turned to look at Armin, sick realisation written all over his face.

"But why?" She breathed out quietly, "Why?"

Jay sighed out as he ran a hand through his hair and began to pace around the room frantically, "It's something that got to do with you and Al. I don't what exactly but maybe he thought Al was trying to kill you. And now, he had started his plan…"

Mikasa breathed out, her mind racing, "I don't know where he is. He was talking to me about Al before I left. That's all I know!"

Jay breathed out and scowled, cursing out loud and hit his fist against the mantelpiece. He cursed out loud as thought desperately for a plan.

Armin lowered his head in deep thought, "We got to split up…" He muttered, getting both of their attention "That's all we can do. Cover more ground, search the Retreat, both inside and out. All we can do is hope the two don't find each other before we find them…"

Jay clenched his jaw and nodded, "Alright. I'll find Dante and we'll search outside on the left side of the Retreat. Mikasa, search the right side. Hopefully you can talk some sense into Eren. Armin, find everyone and get them to search. Is that understood?"

The other two nodded almost instantly. Jay returned the gesture and stormed out followed by the others.

"This doesn't change a thing…" Mikasa hissed to Jay, "You still have to answer for what you did…"

"Whatever you say…" Jay growled, "But just know that if we don't stop them, we may have to answer for a lot more…" And with that he turned around the corner and disappeared from sight.

* * *

 _ **2 years ago**_

 _Jay exhaled as he sat down on the lowest step on the staircase and began to tighten his boots, pulling tightly at the leather and adjusting the harnesses around his legs. After inspecting them one more time, he nodded as he pulled on his jacket and began to walk off to find Dante and Al._

" _Uh… Jayden?"_

 _Jay stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. Standing only a couple of metres away from him was a small boy with black hair and big golden eyes, peering up at him from around the doorway. He looked almost exactly like Al but much smaller with a thinner frame._

" _Yes?" Jay asked, his voice was gentle as he walked up to him and kneeled on one knee to look at him at eye level._

" _Y-You and the others… The expedition is in a couple of days, right?" the boy asked anxiously, moving away from the doorway so Jay could see him, nervously fidgeting with his hands._

" _It is… We're just getting ready… It's only a practice one though…" Jay answered as he looked at him. The boy nodded and sighed out shakily as he looked down at his polished shoes._

" _OK… that's… fine…" The boy muttered quietly. Jay blinked as he tilted his head and stared at him._

" _What's wrong?" Jay asked carefully, making sure that he was picking the right words and not to put him on the spot, "Is there something you want to tell me? Or Al?"_

 _The boy nodded slowly, "Yeah… There is… But don't tell Alphonse I said this-"_

" _Elias, you know I can't just-" Jay sighed out wearily._

" _Please protect him," The boy blurted out quickly, taking Jay aback. The boy was about to say something else but stopped and swallowed before looking down, "...I heard about what happened outside the walls when Father is arguing with Mother or Alphonse… The titans, how most people don't come back, everything… If anything happens, please keep an eye on him… Markus died because of the titans and I barely knew him…" He sniffled miserably, "I don't want to lose Alphonse, he's the only brother I have left… Please don't let him die…"_

 _Jay blinked, completely stunned. 'Wow… I wasn't expecting that at all…' Jay lowered his head and sighed out. "What about Dante? He can help as well…"_

 _The boy gave a reluctant shrug, "Dante's nice and all… but… You'd always tell the truth when it matters. The others would lie just so that I wouldn't find out how bad it is… That's why Penny can tell you anything...So… do you promise?"_

 _Finally he looked up at the boy, his tone was gentle and there was a thin, reassuring smile on his face as he placed a hand on his shoulder "Elias… I'll look out for your brother... He will come back home… I promise…"_

 _Elias blinked before a wide smile appear on his face, "Thank you…" He sniffled, trying to wipe his nose with his sleeve. Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, holding it out towards him. Elias gladly took it before blowing his nose and smiling once again. "Thank you so much…"_

* * *

Jay lowered his head as he pulled up his collar and glanced around him. _'I'll promise I'd protect him for you..'_ He thought as he pushed open the door and ran outside _'...Even if that means from himself…'_

 _ **5 minutes before current time**_

Al rubbed his eyes as he flopped into his chair, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted he tossed his gloves into the drawer and shut it. _'...I should probably get down to writing that letter to the Commander…'_ He thought as he selected a piece of paper from his desk and reached for his pen. He dipped it in a pot of ink and was about to write until something caught his eye. At the far end of the desk was a neatly folded sheet of paper. Carefully, he reached out towards it and picked it up. _'To Al?'_ He thought as he read over the front and opened it.

 _Al_

 _Something came up and I badly need your help. You're the only person I know who can help me with something like this. It's not safe to talk in the Retreat. Meet me outside. Please don't tell anyone else about this. Not even Eren or Armin._

 _Mikasa_

As soon as he finished reading, he dropped the letter before throwing his coat on and disappearing out into the corridor and rushing outside.

* * *

Al huffed out as he jogged through the trees looking around for any sign of Mikasa. _'It would have helped if she could have been a little specific…'_ Al thought as he looked around and sighed out wearily but thought again, _'But if someone else found that letter, they'd suspect something is wrong… I shouldn't blame her for that… Besides the fact that she wanted to talk to me alone means that it's serious…'_ Al breathed out and shook his head before continuing to jog on. It was his second time around the Retreat and still there was no sign of her. Al continued to glance around until he heard a snow crunching behind him and instantly turned around, swinging his arm around till he saw who it was.

"Hey, what is it?" Eren asked, looking towards Al. Al visibly relaxed his arm as he sighed out, straightening his posture.

"Oh, it's you…Thought you were someone else…" Al remarked, "What are you doing out here?"

' _Dammit… I wasn't expecting him to notice me…'_ Eren thought but he simply shrugged, "I needed some fresh air and saw you wandering about here… You?"

Al nodded slowly before looking around, turning away from Eren "Fancied the same thing as well…" He answered vaguely. "Anyway have seen Mikasa by any chance?" He asked, focusing on his surroundings.

"No… afraid not…" Eren remarked as he stared at Al, his hand going for the knife attached to his belt. His hands gripped the handle as he silently took a step closer towards Al.

"Dammit…" Al shrugged as he looked around, still fixated on his surroundings, "That is pretty convenient though…" He muttered out.

"That's odd...Why would she want to talk to you?" Eren asked as he took another step closer until he was at arm's length away.

"You tell m-" Al began but stopped. His blood ran cold as he froze on the spot, a single horrible thought playing out in his mind. _'...Wait… I never said Mikasa wanted to talk to me...How would he know… unless…'_ Before he could even continue that thought, he heard small metallic sound behind him. His eyes widened as his head whipped to the side, his eyes focused on what was behind him. From the corner of his eye, he could see Eren's arm blur towards him and he ducked instantly. He could feel the wind only inches above his neck as he backed off, his eyes fixed on the dagger in Eren's hand. "Wha- What!? Eren, what are you-!" He glanced upwards only to see Eren lunge forwards, slicing out as wildly as he could. Al continued to dodge until he raised his elbow and it connected with his wrist. Eren yelled out as pain as he staggered back, clutching at his arm and looking at Al with pure loathing.

"Eren! Have you lost your mind!?" Al yelled out, not taking his eyes off him. Eren growled as he darted forward and swung. "Shut up! SHUT UP!"

"Eren! Listen to me! Calm! Down!" Al ordered before Eren swung out again at him, causing him to jump backwards.

"I SHOULD'VE ACTED SOONER! YOU'RE JUST LIKE HIM! LIKE THAT BASTARD! I WON'T LET YOU KILL HER!" Eren screamed out.

"Eren what the hell are you talking about?" Al demanded, staring at Eren, his eyes wide.

"Just admit it you're one of them!" Eren yelled back.

"You're not making any sense! What do you mean by 'one of them'!?" Al asked in confusion only for Eren to scream back.

"You're a titan shifter!" He yelled out. Al's expression dropped and his blood ran cold. _'Oh crap… Oh crap!'_ He thought as he shook his head. _'How did he find out!? How did he even suspect that!?'_

"Eren… Listen to me…" Al called out as he raised his hands in order to try and calm him down, "Just calm down… And let's talk about this… You're clearly not well… We can talk about this… There's is no-"

"What!? No way that you're a titan shifter!?" Eren sneered, "Well tell me this… Where did your scar on your cheek go, huh!? Al's hand shot up to his face and felt the unmarred skin. The scar he had got when Sasha's arrow grazed him during the fight in the church was gone. However, what had attracted Al's attention was the heat from where the scar was meant to be and he could feel steam being formed and dissipating into the air. He cursed as he realised what had happened. _'Dammit! There's no way I can talk him out of it… Maybe, I just try and calm him down and at least explain to him and that we aren't threats'_

"Don't even try and patronise me!" Eren spat out angrily, "In fact… I probably never felt so clearly in my life until this point! So just do us both a favour and confess!""

"Alright then yes. I'm a shifter just like you. Is that what you wanted to know?" Al confessed half yelling.

Eren let out a hysterical laugh as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "I knew it...I knew it! A-And let me guess!? Jay and Dante!? They knew. Or better yet, _**they're**_ titan shifters as well!"

Al stayed silent as his jaw clenched momentarily, cursing to himself. Eren noticed his reaction and took a step back, a deranged grin on his face as he shook his head in disbelief. "I was right… All of it, everything was a goddamn lie…"

Al raised his hand and shook his head, "No! Eren! Listen to me!" He called out, trying to talk some sense into him, "It wasn't a lie. You have to believe me-"

Eren gritted his teeth in anger as he clenched the knife, "Like hell I would! And Commander Erwin told us to trust you!? Hell, we're better of with Bertolt and Reiner with us compared to the rest of you!"

"Dammit, Eren!" Al yelled out exasperatedly, "Just drop the knife and hear me ou-"

"And I bet that whole sob story with your brother in Shinganshina was just another lie as well!" Eren sneered. Al froze completely. He stared at Eren, his hands bawling into fists without him realising. His posture straightened a little as his chin jutted out slightly "I wouldn't continue if I were you..."

"Or what!?" Eren scoffed, "Does it look like I care at all!? About your stupid dead brother lie"

"Eren… Stand. Down." Al ordered, his voice was low and filled with venom.

"Well go on!? What's going to happen!?" Eren yelled but Al's fist blurred, connecting squarely with Eren's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground. The knife spun out of his hand and landed metres away from them into the snow. Eren groaned as he slammed his fist into the snow as he slowly got onto his hands and knees and spat out into the snow. Al slowed his pace as he exhaled, allowing his hands to unclench and him to lower his guard. "No one needs to know about this…" Al breathed out steadily, "This was just some misunderstanding… And we sorted it out, just-"

Eren suddenly kicked out, his boot connecting firmly against Al's stomach. Al's eyes flew open as he stumbled back and fell into snow, grunting out loud as he landed on his shoulder at an awkward angle. Eren glanced back before scrambling to his feet, his hand outstretched towards the knife. Al gritted his teeth as he pushed himself onto his feet and charged forward. His arms wrapped around Eren's waist as he tackled him, Eren fingers on grazing the knife. They lost their footing and slid, crashing into a nearby tree. Eren cried out in pain as he took the brunt of the fall as his back hit the tree. He gritted his teeth as he sent his elbow crashing down onto Al's shoulder. Al grunted as he felt his grip loosen and Eren sent his elbow crashing down again onto his shoulder, causing Al to stumble and collapse into the snow. Eren saw his chance and kicked out, his boot connecting with Al's side and causing him to roll over to the side in pain. Eren staggered back before hobbling over to the knife, pain shooting up his ankle as he made his way closer.

' _Dammit! Come on! Just a little closer!'_ He thought as edged closer to the knife. He leaned down to grab the handle and pulled it out of the snow. He glanced over his shoulder to see Al staggered onto his feet. _'I need to find a way to distract him and then I could finish it once and for all!'._ Quickly, he searched around him before grabbing a large stone covered in snow. His fingers were numb but he clenched it with all his might as he whirled around to see Al. Al finally steadied himself and looked up to see Eren moving towards him. Eren swung out with his left hand, chucking the rock and sending snow flying. Al raised his arms and grunted as the rock thudded against his jacket and shielded his eyes from the snow. He lowered his arms just in time to see Eren swing out with his knife, the blade slicing through the air and towards Al. _'Crap! No way to back away… There's only one thing I can do…'_ He realised and without giving it a second thought, he swung out with all of his strength towards Eren's hand.

* * *

Mikasa rushed through into the forest, the trees blurring past her and her boots crunching in the snow. She pushed away branches and vaulted over a fallen tree without losing momentum and continued to sprint through. _'Oh God, what is Eren thinking!?'_ She thought, trying to stop the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her, _'He can't seriously be doing this! What Jay and Armin said can't be true! He can't! Why would he want to kill Al of all people? And what might Al do?'_ She shook her head as she continued to sprint through. _'All I need to do is to get there before they-'_

Suddenly, a high pitched screamed filled the air. Mikasa skidded to a halt, her head perked up as she heard a loud scream from the forest. She blinked in surprise as she heard it. _'What was that?'_ She thought as she looked around, trying to pinpoint where it came from. _'It… No way… It's sounded like it was human!'_

* * *

Eren turned deathly pale and he screamed as he landed onto the floor, clutching at his broken, bleeding fist. Al staggered back, shocked to see bone sticking out from Eren's hand from several disgusting angles, his jaw hanging wide open in shock. Al looked down and his eyes widened and he clutched at his forearm. His fingers were smeared with Eren's blood but covering Al's knuckles was pale blue crystal. "What the… what?" Al breathed out as he stared at it. _'No way… could it be… my titan's ability?'_ Al hesitantly as about to touch it but suddenly it cracked and began to fall piece by piece. Al looked up and rushed over to Eren, a sense of dread hanging over him. ' _Oh God! If Mikasa sees this…'_

"Eren!" Al yelled out, "EREN!"

Eren screamed out as he scrambled onto his feet towards Al. Steam was flaring out from Eren's right arm as he reached for his belt and swung out the dagger with his left hand. Al cursed as he stepped back, the blade nicking his shirt. Eren lunged forward and Al quickly stepped to the side. He wrapped one arm around Eren's neck and the other prying the knife out of his hands and casting it out to the side. Eren yelled out in fury but Al tightened his grip, choking out Eren.

"Enough! Don't make me hurt you!" Al growled as he squeezed harder, "Just give up!"

Eren struggled, kicking out and tossing and turning to escape. His vision began to darken and his flailing became weaker and weaker. He tried gasping for air but his airways were cut off by Al's arms. He grabbed Al's arm with one hand and tried to pull as hard as he could but to no avail. "Guh...G-G" Eren spluttered out weakly is he continued trying to break free. _'Almost there…'_ Al thought as he looked down at Eren struggling to get out, ' _Just need to-'_

He suddenly stopped as he heard the familiar, quick sound of footsteps crunching in the snow. His blood turned cold in sick realisation as he slowly dared himself to look over his shoulder to see Mikasa, staring at the two of them in complete horror. Al breathed out in disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. His grip around Eren's neck loosened and Eren sucked in air, his brain and lungs were screaming.

"GO TO HELL!" Eren screamed out as he lifted his hand to his mouth, ready to sink his teeth in. Mikasa's eyes widened and she had began to rush forward. Al looked down and his expression turned into that of horror. Time had slowed down.

"EREN! DON-!" Al screamed out but it was too late. Eren bit hard into his hand, drawing blood, bright yellow light enveloped them both.

 _ **BANG!**_

* * *

 _AN:_

 _What a chapter. It certainly took a long time but once again, thank you so much for your patience. Next, we'll see how the relationship between Levi's squad and the GSC are pushed to the limit in the following chapters. This should be interesting_

 _Have a great day!_


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